(im)Perfect
by chrisxcrossx
Summary: Being the Crown Prince of the Candy Kingdom comes with a lot of pressure. It's a lot to ask of a 12 year old who's only friend is a horse(unicorn...thing.) Prince Gumball struggles to live up to his title while breaking out of his sheltered life. And right there dragging him out is a certain vampire. Join them on their journey through friendship, awkwardness, lame humor, & romance!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: _(im)Perfect_ (c) me_ Adventure Time_ (c) Pen Ward

Author's Note: This will be a short one since it's just the prologue. Don't worry, the other chapters will be longer :3 Please leave the flaming to Flame Princess; constructive crit is welcomed! If all goes as planned, this will be the first of a three part series.

Warnings: Yes, this is boy love. Rating may go up eventually.

* * *

Throughout the Nightosphere, voices whispered. They dared not speak louder, fearing retribution for the potentially treasonous things they uttered. But who could blame the creatures of the night who wondered why their so-called king had all but abandoned them?

There was a time when the Lady of Evil reigned alone. Some battled for their right to overthrow her, though none survived. She was the supreme ruler of the Nightosphere, as she had been from the beginning of time, and planned to rule for eons longer. No demon or ghoul could forget the day when the Lady returned to the Nightosphere in the midst of the Great Mushroom War with shocking news: she was pregnant. No one was sure what to make of it. Would her child succeed her? Would she even give birth to the child? And for that matter, who was the child's father? No one had any answers.

Eventually, the Lady gave birth – but it was not a ghost, ghoul, or demon.

It was a human.

Word spread like wildfire. The creatures were repulsed. Their Lady? Mating with a _human? _Riots broke out. The Nightosphere was on the verge of war. The Lady had gone soft. The millennia had addled her brain. To mate with something lowly like a human – preposterous! Were they expected to bow at the feet of such an abomination? To treat it like nobility? Nonsense. They would have none of that. They called for their matriarch to either end the pitiful thing's life, or surrender her leadership.

But the Lady refused both demands. Instead, she returned the baby to its father in the human dimension, for a normal human could not survive for long in the Nightosphere. Many suspected that the Lady actually had _feelings _for the beast, but she rarely ventured out of the Nightosphere to see it.

One day, the vampire leader from the Nightosphere decided to slay the child. Vampires and demons had always been at odds, and the vampires wanted desperately to rule the Nightosphere themselves. Surely, the Lady loved the wretched thing, so if they killed it, she would be crushed and weak. That would be the time to strike her down and take control.

The vampires arrived in the human dimension and found the child and its father. After a grueling chase, the leader of the vampires finally cornered the child and could finally kill it. However, for some reason, the vampire died in the attempted murder. The child had somehow destroyed its predator, but nevertheless, it became a vampire itself. As both a vampire and demon spawn, it was destined to rule over the Nightosphere with an even tighter grip than the Lady of Evil.

But, the young immortal shirked its duties and ventured back into the human world from whence it came, ignoring its responsibilities and mother's pleas to stay.

Good riddance, the creatures of the night thought. Despite it being turned into a vampire, the damned thing had no place in the Nightosphere. It was not a true vampire, nor was it full-fledged demon. Not to mention an entire coven was destroyed because of the cursed creature.

The creature wandered the rotting human world for centuries, occasionally returning home when the Lady commanded it. And when it returned, the whispers had to cease. Not a breath of doubt could be heard in their voices, or the Lady and her spawn would strike them down where they stood. So, when the creature was there, they had to pretend to be loyal. Faithful. They had to bow before the thing which they hated so dearly, and together every voice in the Nightosphere raised so that it could hear:

"All hail Marshall Lee, the Vampire King!"


	2. Imminent

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect_ © me _Adventure Time_ © Pen Ward  
Author's Note: As promised, here's a nice long one! Yes, this part was inspired by the episode "I Remember You." This is my take on what happened. This chapter is just here to show you Marshall's past, and the next chapter will be Gumball's. Then we can get into some interaction between them, which will be significantly less boring than this! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Earth was in ruins. There was barely a human to be seen on the streets of Manhattan. Occasionally there was a corpse, and here or there a deformed mutant… but humans were rare. One small boy wandered the streets, his wails echoing through the destruction of the epitome of urbanization. Not one person roused themselves to answer his cries.

Until one woman stepped forward.

"Don't cry, darling," she cooed. "Are you lost?"

The little boy looked up and saw the bright red stuffed animal she held out to him. It was the happiest thing he'd seen in days. Maybe in his whole life. Something about its stitched smiling face made the boy smile, too. He reached for it before he looked up at the other person. A faint blush colored his cheeks. It was her. Her skin was white as snow and she looked as if she had not slept in a while. The first time they'd met, she was so beautiful that he'd nervously asked her if she was an angel. But now she was thinner, her eyes bloodshot, and hands deathly cold.

He did not speak at first. It always made him uncomfortable when she talked to him like that. Like they were strangers. They were friends, weren't they? So why couldn't she ever remember him?

"I'm not lost," the boy said.

"Can you tell me your name?" she asked.

He chewed his lower lip. "Marshall Lee Evans. You forgot me again."

Her smile was vague, detached. "Marshall. Of course I remember you. We've met. And I'm… My name..."

"You're Simone. Simone Pet… Pet-ree-cough," Marshall replied shyly.

She seemed startled. "Simone. Yes. That's right. I'm Simone." She sat cross-legged in the street before him, toying with a strand of hair. It had turned from a bright chestnut to a dull, flat brown streaked with gray. It scared Marshall to see that. Only old people had hair that went gray that fast, and it had only been a few weeks since he and Simone had last seen each other. "Remind me how old you are again, Marshall."

Marshall puffed his chest out proudly. "I'll be six years old in two months. Then I'll be old enough to ride a bike _without_ training wheels, daddy told me."

"You're a big boy for six," Simone cooed. "I was trying to help you find someone, wasn't I? Was it your daddy?"

Marshall visibly deflated. His shoulders slumped and he lowered his eyes to the stuffed bear in his arms. Its eyes were two shiny blue buttons, blue like the sky used to be, something Marshall had never seen.

"Gone."

"Gone?" Simone repeated.

"Daddy… Daddy and I moved around a lot. He said there were bad people after us. But they weren't people, they were monsters. _Scary_ monsters. Daddy had to fight them sometimes. I… I think he killed some. Don't tell anyone, though. Daddy might get in trouble." Marshall looked up at Simone, to see if she seemed likely to blab. She mimed zippering her lips so he continued. "Daddy said we came here to find Ma. He said Ma could help us and scare the monsters away. But we came to Manahat… Anhat… Man_hattan_, to find her and there were just monsters, so Daddy said to run and hide but the monsters got Daddy first. They killed him. Then you came and saved me from the monsters. You said you'd help me find Ma. Then you started saying weird things and you left me all alone. You came back, but it happened again. Three times." Marshall held up three fingers for emphasis.

Her eyes used to be dark and warm. But now they were like chips of ice. It was frightening. There was still something about her that brought Marshall comfort, but the changes were unsettling. He watched her for any sign of recognition, if the story he'd told her so many times before rang a bell. She blinked slowly before taking his hand.

"I remember," Simone murmured.

"You do?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes. I came back to warn you," she said, staring into the distance. "Something is coming."

Marshall was not sure what to say. He looked over his shoulders, but could see nothing. Nervous, he squeezed Simone's hand. "I'm scared. I wanna find Ma."

This time when she looked at him, Marshall knew Simone was seeing him as the little boy she promised to protect, not a stranger. She whispered, "I made you a promise, Marshall Lee. I made your father a promise too at his grave. Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll find your mother."

* * *

_"Hide, Marshall. Go! I'll hold them off."_

"But Daddy—"

"Do as I say! Go!"

And so he did. He hated every moment of it. They were close; even though they were not within sight, their laughter echoed around him. He was terrified and he wanted his father to hide with him. Why couldn't he hide too and hug Marshall and tell him everything was going to be okay? Marshall squeezed himself into the wreckage of a car and ducked beneath the window so the monsters couldn't see him.

"Well, well," one of the monsters laughed. "If it isn't Lee Evans."

"Therion. How many more of your coven do I have to kill before you learn your place?" Marshall's father snapped.

The monster named Therion snorted. "You talk like a big shot, Lee, but at the end of the day, you're still just a human. I honestly don't know what that old hag ever saw in you."

"Shut up."

"Have I touched a nerve?"

"I'm giving you one last chance to clear out of here. Take your coven and go back. I will never give you Marshall."

Laughter rippled among the monsters. Marshall couldn't see them, but there had to be a dozen at least judging by the voices he heard.

"Give us Marshall? We don't want you to give him to us. We just want to kill him. Feel free to keep his corpse."

"Bastards," Lee Evans growled.

Marshall could hear shouting and fighting. He promised his father he wouldn't look, but it was too tempting. He had to know. Slowly, he peeked through the shattered car window to see what was happening.

Four of the ten monsters were on the ground, unconscious. Maybe dead. Three more were levitating, circling overhead while the remaining three were locked in combat with Lee. It happened so quickly that Marshall did not know how it had happened, but in the time it took to blink, one of the monsters had pinned Lee to the pavement. The rest of the monsters jeered from the sidelines.

"Now, let's have a talk. Man to man," said the monster pinning Lee, who must have been Therion. "You've spent the last few years of your miserable life avoiding the inevitable. You put your fragile mortal life on the line time and time again – for the sake of some biracial deformed brat. And every time I see you, you say the same old thing. 'When I find Hellen, she'll stop you! Hellen will protect us!' Hellen is always the answer to your problems. But it's been five years, Lee. That's a lot of time for a human. If Hellen really cared for you or that thing_ you call your offspring, don't you think she would have come back for you?"_

_"She has her reasons."_

"Yes. And her reasons are that she doesn't care about either of you. So why don't you give up already? Put Lady Hellen behind you, let us take your… son, and get along with your human life."

"I can't."

Therion gazed down at his human foe with something close to remorse. He shook his head, tutting softly.

"A pity."

Therion the One-eyed sank his fangs into his prey, and Lee Evans died screaming as his life blood spilled into the cracked street pavement.

Marshall was crying. Sobbing. Shaking. He was so scared. Was his daddy really dead? But he couldn't be. Daddy couldn't be dead. His head was spinning and he felt like he was about to throw up and he was angry and confused and so many other things. Marshall was screaming too. "Stop, stop, stop!" he repeated, but who was he yelling at? When he looked up again, the monsters found him in the broken car. He failed his daddy. Daddy said to hide, to stay quiet and safe and not to look and Marshall did all the wrong things. He did EXACTLY what Daddy said not to do, and that's why they hurt him and why they were going to hurt Marshall. They were laughing when Therion's blood stained hand reached through the broken window for Marshall.

And then the unthinkable happened. A block of ice encased Therion's head. The other monsters scrambled around in confusion, but even as they did so, jagged icicles flew at them. One of them went down with the other four his father killed. The remaining four, though injured, grabbed their half-frozen leader and flew off shouting.

When the door opened, the most beautiful woman Marshall had ever seen was standing there. She had olive skin and big brown eyes and perfect chestnut curls. There was a golden crown on her head and she smiled the most dazzling smile. Marshall was scared, but she was so beautiful. She must have been an angel. Or at least a princess. He crawled over the ripped car seats and broken window glass and smothered his face into her waist as he cried and cried.

Later he would learn that her name was Simone Petrikov and she saved his life by chasing off the monsters she called vampires with her strange ice powers. It was too late to save Lee, but Simone built him a cairn from debris. That night, she fed Marshall and gave him a place to sleep and listened to his story. She sang him a lullaby while she traced the jewels on her crown until she thought he was asleep. Then she brushed the dark hair from his brow and whispered, "I promise to protect you. I may have failed everyone else, but I won't fail you."

* * *

__

Marshall awoke from his dream with a start. He was covered in a light sheen of sweat and he looked around in confusion. Then he remembered. He and Simone were in an abandoned building for the night. She said it must have been an old warehouse. They managed to find some big canvas sheets to use for blankets and she built a little fire to keep them warm, but Marshall's stuffed bear brought him more comfort than any of that. He hugged it tightly and looked over at Simone while she slept. Even in her sleep now, she kept the crown on. It made Marshall uneasy. Simone was different when she wore the crown. She seemed to forget him when she wore it. Sometimes she would slip away in the middle of a conversation, wander off out of the blue, murmur to herself, "my prince, my prince."

Marshall crawled closer to the fire and picked up a few dry twigs they'd gathered and threw them on top of the flames. Perhaps he'd fall asleep easier with the fire lighting his surroundings. What he did not expect was for Simone to jolt awake and let out a blood curdling screech.

He screamed too. Simone pointed at the fire and a bolt of ice shot from her finger tip, meeting the fire with a sharp _hiss_. The flames flickered out, and Simone towered over him breathing in ragged breaths.

"_What do you think you're doing_?" she rasped.

"I was—I just—"

"No fire," Simone snarled. "Fire is evil. Ice is good. Cold is your friend. Never fire. Never warmth."

"But," he stammered, "I was only… t-trying to sleep…"

Simone's crazed glare made him whimper and bury his face into the stuffed bear. She stroked his hair and crooned, "Cold will bring you sleep. Everyone tries to run from the cold, but it is always there. It will always find you. It slows you down when it catches you, and then you start to feel so very heavy and sleepy. Then the cold lulls you into the deepest, sweetest sleep of your life. Let the cold take you. Let me show you…"

"You're scary!" Marshall shouted.

Before she could respond, Marshall swung his bear out violently and knocked the crown off of Simone's head. For a moment, she raised her hand as if to strike him, but then she seemed to come to her senses. She lowered her hand, staring around in confusion.

"Marshall?" she murmured.

It was too much. Her Jekyll-and-Hyde personality was scaring Marshall more than he would ever say. He was just as terrified of Simone as he was of the vampires, but she was the only living creature left on earth that seemed to even care about him. Without her, Marshall was lost. With her, he was terrified. Sniffling and confused, Marshall murmured, "Good night."

If he'd turned around before hiding underneath the canvas with his bear, Marshall would have seen her guilt. Simone struggled internally. She wanted to go to him and make things right, but there was no chance of that. Marshall would not forgive her for scaring him again. Perhaps, she thought, she would just let him sleep it off. Then things would be okay. She let the little orphan creature silently cry all alone, and she in turn huddled under her canvas as she fell into an uneasy slumber. All the while, she clutched the crown to her chest.

* * *

Morning came and Simone struggled to sit up. She felt hung over though it seemed like a hundred years had passed since she last had alcohol. Why would she need booze when the crown gave her the greatest high in the world? It made her feel light as air, cold as death, stronger than the gods… Everything was _right_ when she wore the crown.

Even as she smiled to herself and touched the rubies inlaid in the crown, she knew something was wrong. Everything may have felt right when she wore the crown, but that wasn't the case in reality. Simone did her best to forget, but she remembered with painful clarity how many blackouts she had, how many times she scared poor Marshall, how many times she abandoned him – a five year old boy – because of the crown's urges. She bit her lip, hesitating before she put the crown on. Maybe for Marshall's sake, she'd leave it off. Just for a little while. But… it made her feel so _good_. Invincible and calm and she could forget about Benji and -

Oh, no. It had been so long since she last remembered Benji. And the memories came flying back. That's why Simone needed the crown – to block out memories of her prince. The crown helped her forget the pain of losing him. She'd forgotten what pain was like. Terrified, she hugged the crown to her chest as hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Marshall?" she called softly.

No response.

She looked across the room to the makeshift bed she'd made him in the warehouse. But there was nothing there. Not even his stuffed bear. Simone rose and hurried across the room and stared at the rumpled canvas he'd used for a blanket. Then she noticed scratch marks on the wooden floorboards. In large, childish handwriting were the words

I'M SORY. GOOD BY

_I'm sorry. Good bye_. What was that supposed to mean? Her heart plummeted. He was _gone_? No… that couldn't be. She had to protect him. Marshall didn't have anyone else. She made a promise. She stood over the grave of Lee Evans with his blood still on her hands from when she buried him and swore to his corpse that she would keep his son safe. She swore to Marshall innumerable times that they would find his mother together. And now he was gone. She – no, the _crown_ – had scared that little boy away just like it scared Benji. Simone's knees were weak, but she had no time to waste. She had to look for him. How far could a little boy have gone in one night?

That was when she remembered the danger.

Without the crown on, the memories were clearer. She remembered the last time she was away from Marshall before she found him and gave him the bear. There were vampires. It was Therion and his coven. They returned in huge numbers, and they had come for revenge. This time they would not fail to kill Marshall. Simone didn't know why the vampires were so intent on killing the boy, but she supposed it must have been his parentage. Marshall had a generally boyish appearance, but with his gray skin and tapered ears, he was clearly not entirely human. She assumed at first it must have been because of a genetic mutation, or even exposure to radiation, but if vampires were after him, perhaps Marshall was some sort of demonic creature – at least partly demonic. Lee Evans seemed to be nothing more than a human, but Lee may not have been Marshall's biological father.

_Why am I worrying about this now_? Simone chided herself. _The vampires are nearby. It doesn't matter why they're after him, I know they're going to kill Marshall if they find him. Even if he is a demon or vampire or what have you, he has no powers. He's just a little boy._

She had to keep a clear head at least until she found Marshall. Though she felt weak and awkward, Simone carried the crown rather than wear it and took to the streets to find the only person in the world who might still need her.

* * *

Days passed since he'd last seen Simone. And then days turned into weeks. Marshall counted down the days until the morning of his sixth birthday, he sang to himself.

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meee, happy birthday to me!" He hugged his stuffed bear tight. Its bright red fuzz was stained here and there from his travels.

"What should we do for my birthday, Hambo?" Marshall asked the bear. "Daddy said he'd buy me a bike. Maybe we can find a bike somewhere and go for a ride. Would you like that?"

He wiggled Hambo so the bear's head flopped forward as if it was nodding in agreement. A grin split across Marshall's face. "Okay! Let's go find one!"

His hair was full of dirt and twigs and his skin was smeared with grime. If a stranger looked at him and couldn't see his pointed ears, he would look just like a normal human boy. Marshall hummed to himself as he skipped along with Hambo's long arms tied around his neck. The stuffed animal flopped around like a cape behind him as he went, and Marshall looked up at the polluted gray sky and smiled. "I won't be sad today," he said. "Today's my birthday, and daddy said to never be sad on your birthday!"

He stopped by a murky stream to take a drink of water and sat cross legged in the muck to make mud pies. Chattering happily to himself, he made himself a towering mud cake and invited all the mutated creatures to eat it with Hambo. None of them came, but in Marshall's mind, there were dozens of them crowding around to wish him a happy birthday and share his cake. It filled him with joy. He put a long stick in the top of the mud cake and said, "It's time to make a wish, Hambo. What do I wish for?"

Marshall bit his lower lip and stared at the pretend candle thoughtfully. There were a lot of things he could wish for, but he had to make sure it was the right wish. He could wish for Daddy, or to find Ma, or for Simone to be normal. He could wish to see the sky turn blue again or for a house or a bright red bicycle to ride with Hambo. However, Marshal didn't get the chance to make a wish. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice he was no longer alone.

"It's crummy that I only get one wish," Marshall sighed.

"Wish all you want. You won't live long enough for it to come true."

He whipped around, shocked, and saw a face that haunted his nightmares. Therion the One-eyed towered over Marshall with a cocky grin on his face. Marshall tried to run, but the vampire grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him to eye level.

"No, not this time. You're not allowed to run away."

"Lemme go!" Marshall squirmed.

"Hah! It's the end of the line, kid. There's no one here to help you this time. No magic ice nanny, no daddy… I'll cut your heart out and force feed it to Lady Hellen before I kill her. Then you can all be one nice happy _dead_ family."

Laughter rippled from the ring of vampires around them. Marshall stared in horror at the creature's face. An enormous scar covered the left side of his face where his eye had been gouged out, and all that remained was a sinister rotting hole. His good eye had a slit pupil and a red iris that made Marshall's blood run cold. His platinum hair fell to his waist and he wore a necklace of fangs. Marshall tried to be brave, but he just ended up crying. Hambo was still tied around his neck. Marshall wanted to hug the bear and hide forever.

"Watch closely, my brethren. This is how you start a revolution!"

Marshall squeezed his eyes shut, but that didn't block out the pain. Two long pointed fangs sank into his neck, and Therion the One-eyed sucked hungrily at his blood.

Everything began to change. His vision was distorted and sounds seemed miles away. Marshall writhed and shrieked, but nothing kept the agony at bay. He was dying, but he was on fire, and he was freezing and flayed all at once. Marshall wanted it all to stop, but it wouldn't. He fell to the ground in a heap and Therion staggered away. Marshall looked up at him through clouded eyes and saw the vampire vomit a fountain of blood. The rest of the coven shied away from their leader and Marshall.

"It's the demon blood!"

"He's been cursed!"

"Kill the bastard! Kill it now!"

Marshall could not make sense of any of the voices, but he was fading from consciousness.

When Simone stumbled upon the scene, she let out a cry of terror. The boy was down, bleeding out, the coven was in shambles, and Therion… Therion was dying. Sores opened all over his body and ate away at his flesh. Strips of skin and muscle sloughed off of his bones even as she watched, and she was too stunned to react.

She caught sight of Marshall and would not have believed it if she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes.

He was expanding. He grew and grew and sprouted a forest of thick black hair. Leathery wings burst from his back and he lifted his face as it changed into something bat-like in appearance. His eyes turned red even where the whites should have been with no distinction between the eye and iris. His small hands turned into enormous talons and Marshall flew at Therion with bulldozer force.

"_I AM THE VAMPIRE KING! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I AM IMMORTAL!"_

Deaf to Therion's cries, Marshall Lee Evans opened his gaping mouth, let out a resonating screech, and closed his jaws around the Vampire King's head. In a few quick chomps, Therion the One-eyed was no more, and his killer turned on the rest of the coven. The vampires flew at him in their fury, attempting to kill the beast with numbers. For a moment, it seemed to be in vain. But then the monstrous Marshall toppled to the ground as the vampires descended on him.

_I promise to protect you_.

Simone did not hesitate. She put the crown on her head and felt the power flowing through her, and threw ice darts at the unholy creatures.

_I may have failed everyone else…_

The vampires turned. There were so many of them. Simone was so overwhelmingly outnumbered. It was futile. But the crown gave her strength. She stared them down and cackled.

_But I will not fail you_.

One by one they fell with icicles pounded through their hearts, encased in blocks of ice, spewing blood and curses. The manic rush she felt was so good. Seeing them fall boosted her strength even more and Simone had never felt better in her life. When the last of the vampires fled, she looked to the creature she avoided during the fight. Slowly she approached it, knelt beside it, and watched as the bat monster shrank into the form of a cowering child.

_Even when I forget you entirely_.

"Your name is Marshall," she said uncertainly.

"Simone," Marshall wailed, and threw himself at her, hugging her so tightly that Simone could not breathe.

_… Even when I forget myself._

"How old are you, Marshall?"

"Today is my sixth birthday."

"You're a big boy for only six."

"Do you remember what you said? You said you'd help me find Ma. Ma will scare away the monsters that hurt me."

"I'll help you find her, darling," Simone whispered, hugging the boy tightly. "Until she can scare away the monsters, I'll keep you safe."


	3. Impudent

Even as a toddler, Prince Gumball was destined for greatness – and he knew it. Everyone said so. At six years old, Gumball became the youngest finalist of the National Science Convention, and the youngest gold medalist at eight. A year was all it took for him to propose three solid theories on the mutation progression of candy matter cells, and not one notable scientist could refute his discoveries. The prodigious prince was acclaimed before he hit puberty.

The Candy Queen found her son in the basement laboratory surrounded by vials and jars. She watched as her boy slowly poured a neon green liquid into a smoking beaker. The mixture turned into an entirely gaseous state and the smoke acquired a green glow. Gumball stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth as he always did while he took meticulous notes on the paper beside him. His mother approached him with a soft smile.

"Sweetheart?" she called.

"Mother," Gumball chirped. He looked up at her happily and removed his safety goggles. "The experiment is going well so far. My hypothesis was wrong, but I've discovered—"

She held up a hand to silence him and continued more sternly, "Dear, I have to talk to you."

"Of course, Mother," he said, politely inclining his head. He sat down with his hands folded in his lap, his wide eyes focused completely upon her.

She brushed her hand against his cheek gently, her heart breaking at the sight of his sweet, innocent face. "Your twelfth birthday is coming up soon."

"Yes, it is. Is Father taking me to the planetarium again this year? Or will it be the Museum of Pre-Mushroom War Artifacts?"

"Neither one, my love," the queen said. "This year we're hosting a ball in your honor. All of the other royal heirs and their families will be in attendance."

Gumball smiled. It did not quite reach his eyes. "Splendid."

The queen gently bit her lower lip. "It was my hope that… you could get to know them. Befriend them. Your father and I worry so much…"

"About what, Mother? I'm fine. You don't need to worry. I'm very self-sufficient."

Rarely had the Candy Queen looked so sad. She pressed her lips to her only child's brow and murmured, "I know, and that's what worries me. You are so grown up for your age, I fear that you may be missing your childhood. I would like you to make friends, my sweet, and to play with other children rather than your chemistry set."

"I have friends," Gumball frowned. "MoChro and I are _best_ friends."

The Candy Queen sighed. "Best friends you may be, but you can't have just one friend. A prince needs many powerful friends and allies so that his kingdom is safer when he rules. If nothing else, you are obligated as future king to seal alliances with the other kingdoms."

Gumball looked into her sad, tired eyes and saw her desperation and fear. She did not care if he had alliances or not; she worried that he was lonely. Gumball enjoyed being alone, but he didn't care to tell his mother that. It would only make her feel worse, and Gumball _loathed_ seeing his mother sad. Gumball realized he had no choice but to try to assuage her. And the only way that would happen was if he started making friends.

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll try my best."

* * *

It was well past midnight when a cloaked Gumball stepped out onto the balcony of his bedroom and whistled three clear notes into the quiet night. Within seconds, Lord Monochromicorn swooped down from the roof and perched on the railing. Gumball hurried out with a sack thrown over his shoulder and he stroked his steed's coat as he climbed on.

"Hello, MoChro. To the Endless Wood again. Tonight, I'm certain we'll find it."

MoChro tapped out _if you say so_ on the railing as they took off into the night. Gumball was glad for Monochromicorn's coloring; it was far less likely that the banana guards would notice them against the ink-black sky. Gumball ducked low against MoChro's neck as the cool air whipped past them. Tonight was the night. Though he should have been reading up on Making Friends: Vol. 1 Breaking the Ice, the urge to continue his research was overwhelming. Mother's request would have to wait.

When they were many miles from the Candy Kingdom, MoChro finally began the descent. As the steed touched down in a clearing, Gumball clambered off and rubbed his old friend's mane. He reached into the sack and extracted a jar that was filled with neon green smoke. It lit the dark woods up as well as any lantern, and Gumball nodded his approval. He sat down on a mossy boulder, picked up a stick, and began to draw in the dirt. Within a minute or so, a basic map of the forest unfolded.

"From our previous excursions, we can rule out the all of the eastern and two of the northern paths. That leaves only six more that we can take. Assuming they're no longer than the others, we can ideally cover three of them tonight. Unfortunately, from what some of the grassland nomads have reported, the northern and eastern paths have been reduced to little more than crawl spaces. I'll probably have to make it through alone. Will you please wait here for me?"

_Be careful_, MoChro tapped. Gumball smiled. "You worry too much."

The prince set off into the woods with his makeshift lantern in hand and his heart full of hope. Trees engulfed him, and the pungent smells of earth and foliage assailed his senses. The Endless Wood had become a second home to Gumball in recent weeks. There was something comforting in the darkness of the woods where no one else dared to venture. When he was there, Gumball truly felt alone. It was peaceful.

Everything was going according to plan until a silent shadow passed by him – and swiped the glowing jar right out of his hands. Gumball stared around in confusion. Without the smoke, he was blind. He turned his gaze skywards, and found that the familiar green glow was hanging in midair.

No… not midair. It was being held by someone, or something standing on a tree branch high above.

"What's a kid like you doing all alone out here? You lost?" a voice called down to him.

Gumball frowned. "I am not a child. I am Prince Bubba Gumball of the Candy Kingdom, and I command you to return my fluorosmoke to me this instant!"

The figure above doubled over laughing. "Prince _Bubba?_ Your parents must hate you."

Gumball was affronted. "How dare you! My parents are perfectly lovely people who care for me very much. Furthermore, I am a prince, and you must respect my wishes. Return the jar and be on your way, fiend."

The prince was not prepared for what he saw next. Slowly the figure on the tree branch descended, slowly levitating down to the ground. Gumball watched, transfixed, and tried to make out the figure's features from the smoke's glow. He saw a wide, toothy grin stretched over a gray tinged face, a head of shaggy hair, and two piercing red eyes with snakelike pupils. His breath caught in his throat at the sight.

"Didn't anyone tell you, little prince?" the creature asked sardonically. "All sorts of dangerous things live in these woods."

"Who are you?" Gumball demanded, cursing his shaking voice.

The figure before him tossed the fluorosmoke jar from hand to hand and shrugged. "Probably the most dangerous thing to ever dwell in the Endless Wood."

Gumball stared as this self-proclaimed dangerous being reclined in midair, now tossing the jar high into the air and catching it. "And what makes you so dangerous? You look normal."

He stopped tossing the jar and locked eyes with Gumball. A Cheshire cat grin split across the figure's face, revealing a set of white, pointed teeth. He threw the jar back to Gumball and the prince fumbled as he caught it. When he looked up again, the figure had transformed. He'd grown larger, with coarse black hair sprouting all over his body. No longer did he resemble anything humanoid; leathery wings sprouted from his back and his hands and feet curved into talons.

"Do I still look normal?" the chiropteran creature mocked.

Gumball stumbled a few steps backwards, trembling. "N-No. But neither are you the most dangerous thing here."

The bat creature threw its head back and laughed. "Is that so?" He reached out one clawed hand and scooped Gumball up effortlessly. It took all the courage the prince could muster to keep from crying out in terror. He stared into the beast's endless red eyes as defiantly as he could even as it began to change form. He resembled something humanoid once more, but his skin turned to steaming black sludge and the Cheshire cat grin and pitiless red eyes remained in its face. It seemed to be made of darkness itself.

"Still not dangerous." Gumball's voice squeaked.

The creature returned to its original form: gray skin, shaggy black hair, a red plaid button up. He grabbed Gumball by the collar of his shirt, lifted him into the air, and pressed his fangs against the prince's neck.

"How about now, Your Highness?"

"No," Gumball murmured faintly. "If you were truly dangerous, you would have killed me on sight."

Gumball felt the vibrations of the creature chuckling. "You think so? How very ignorant of you."

The prince knew he had to conquer fear with reason, but it was becoming increasingly difficult as the creature's fangs scraped against the soft flesh of his throat, and its hands locked him in a vice grip.

"I just like playing with my food before I eat it."

Chills ran down Gumball's spine. Perhaps he misjudged the situation. Fear pooled in his stomach and Gumball felt himself starting to cry.

How had things gone so wrong? Gumball was sure that he could appeal to the better nature of this night creature, but it had blown up in the prince's face. As he squirmed in fear, Gumball implored him one last time.

"As the crown prince of the Candy Kingdom, I _command_ you to release me."

"Yeah?" the creature grinned. "That's cute. Unfortunately, as Vampire King and heir to the Nightosphere, I outrank you. So I'll have to decline."

Gumball's face went pale and his heart stuttered in his chest. Vampire _king?_ And even worse, this vampire was from the Nightosphere. Gumball had been one hundred percent wrong. This creature was dangerous. More dangerous than anything he'd ever imagined. In some old texts, Gumball had read about creatures of the Nightosphere, and the strength of vampires… But he'd never imagined anything as frightful as this. Anything he might have learned about fighting dark creatures was wiped from his mind and the genius prince was reduced to a blubbering, childish mess.

"Please," Gumball heard himself begging through his sobs, "_please_ let me go… I don't want to die…"

Just as Gumball felt the vampire start to clamp his teeth down over the prince's neck, the unthinkable happened.

Gumball was dropped to the ground where he curled up in a shivering ball. The vampire towered over him, and laughed until Gumball's hair stood on end.

"Hah! If I'm not terrifying, then why are you crying like a baby?"

Gumball could not answer.

"This should teach you a lesson, little prince. Stay away and don't ever show your face here again. Now _go._"

The vampire didn't need to tell him twice. Gumball sprang to his feet and ran down the path he'd come from, the fluorosmoke lantern forgotten. In complete darkness, he ran for his life, still sobbing, as he tripped over every root and shrub that caught his clumsy feet. When he finally reached the edge of the woods, he found Lord Monochromicorn anxiously pacing about. Gumball ran to him as his friend whinnied in fear and tapped, _What happened? Are you hurt?_

Gumball wasted no time on words and scrambled to climb onto MoChro's back. "It doesn't matter – go! Hurry!"

They took off into the night, and Gumball kept his head low over his steed's neck, too terrified to look back. It seemed to take forever to return to the castle. As MoChro perched on the balcony, he nervously stomped and scratched over and over to ask, _Tell me what happened._

"I don't want to think about this ever again," Gumball whispered.

He swept from the balcony and ran into his room where he cocooned himself in blankets. _It wasn't real_, he told himself, _it was just my imagination. It was all a dream._

Despite his self-reassurance, Gumball tossed and turned all night as he was plagued with nightmares of the Vampire King.


	4. Imbolden

A/N: Thank you guys for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! You guys are awesome! I'd like to give a special shout-out to the lovely rorpie who made me fanart! If you haven't seen it already, check it out here: rorpie. tumblr post/34988751965/still-not-dangerous-gumballs-voice-squeaked (just get rid of the spaces!)

Rorpie, dude, you are so awesome ;A; I absolutely love it, it looks awesome! If I knew where you lived I'd send you, like, a bunch of chocolates and hugs and a puppy, THAT IS HOW HAPPY YOU MADE ME.

I'll probably post more tonight after work or tomorrow! So just bear with me for now :D And please review!

* * *

Night became a terrifying time for Prince Gumball. Even though he was still young, Gumball never felt afraid of darkness like other children. Instead, he found it to be a fantastic time to do research undisturbed. Sometimes he would even record other residents of the castle as they slept for experiments. He would stay up for hours doing a sleep study one night and the next sneak to the High Tower to map out the stars. But no longer. For the past week, Gumball found leaving the castle too frightening of a thought, and sleeping was even worse. Sleep brought nightmares of grotesque shadow creatures, bat monsters, and glowering crimson eyes.

In his distress, Gumball tried to calm himself. He remembered something his father had told him long ago, something Gumball had taken up as his mantra. "Fear stems from ignorance. Overcome ignorance and you will conquer fear." These words had never failed the prince before; then again, Gumball had never been so frightened of anything before. Taking heart that knowledge was the answer, he took off to the library to learn more about vampires and other creatures from the Nightosphere.

It took him four days, but Gumball had barely come up with any information. Even with the Candy Kingdom's wealth of books, there were few with information on dark creatures. No vampire kings were listed in The Royal Genealogy and the only thing about them in A Concise History of the Candy Kingdomwas a bit about any creatures from the Nightosphere being expressly forbidden from entering the kingdom, the penalty being death or banishment to the Nightosphere.

The only place in which Gumball found anything substantial was an old dusty tome that time seemed to have forgotten. It was tucked away on a pedestal of its own but it looked like it had been years since anyone opened it. It reeked of mildew and the pages were yellowed with age, and bugs had eaten away at the binding. When Gumball wiped the layer of dust from the cover, the title read Demonology. It sent a chill up his spine. There were many blank pages where the author had apparently intended to fill with more information, as what he had was scarce. The section on vampires was especially small. It compromised just two pages: one which had a picture, and the other with a short description. The picture showed a gray skinned man with white blonde hair that fell to his waist and one red eye. In place of his other eye was a gaping hole, as if the eye had been ripped out. His whole front was stained red and his fanged grin dripped blood. According to the description, the vampire depicted was called Therion the One-eyed, the last named Vampire King. It explained how Therion had led the largest coven ever recorded, but it had been nearly annihilated by a demon Therion had bitten. The demon-turned-vampire allegedly went on a rampage and not only killed Therion, but 90% of his coven as well. Vampiric law dictated that the killer of the previous king would become the new one. No vampires had supplied the name of the individual and according to the author, it was uncertain whether or not that vampire was still king or not.

Gumball was furious. How did any of that help him? It was barely a blurb on vampires, and none of it made him feel any safer or more knowledgeable. All he knew now was that the one that called himself the Vampire King in the Endless Wood was not Therion the One-eyed. Demonology provided no information on how to defeat vampires, or how to kill them or _anything_substantial. Rarely had the candy prince been so angry. He wanted to throw something in his anger, and since it was partially the cause of his frustration, he decided the book was a good choice – until he realized how heavy it was and dropped it on his foot instead. Enraged, Gumball limped back to his room to seethe.

Three more days passed quite like the others, without the vampire research. Now that Gumball was more reluctant to venture outside, his mother was more determined than ever to push him into socializing with other children. She called it "mingling" but Gumball knew that these were _play dates._It was mildly embarrassing for his mother to do such a thing. For glob's sake, Gumball was turning twelve in just a month! He didn't need play dates with children! Partly out of embarrassment and partly stemming from his fear of leaving the castle's safety, Gumball had to do something he was dreadful at doing.

Lying.

As usual, his mother entered her son's room early in the morning when Gumball informed the Peppermint Maid he was skipping breakfast again. Her forehead was creased with worry as she sat down on the bed beside Gumball, who tried to look as sick as possible.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she cooed.

"Same as yesterday," Gumball told her solemnly. He pulled his fuchsia comforter up to his chin. "It's a nasty stomach bug, but I'm sure I'll be fine in another day or so."

The queen was not satisfied. "Have you taken medicine?"

"Of course," Gumball replied.

"And it hasn't worked?"

"I'm afraid not. Like I said, it's a rather nasty—"

"I'm calling the doctor."

Gumball's face paled. "What? No, no, that really isn't necessary. You shouldn't worry so much, Mother."

For the first time in many years, the Candy Queen grew angry. "Don't worry, it's just a stomach ache – do you know who said those words to me last? Your father. And look at the state he's in now. My husband may be beyond help, but I will _not_sit idly by while my son contracts the Rot!"

Gumball hadn't even imagined that his mother would make such a connection. Honestly, Gumball hadn't seen the similarity himself. And as he watched his mother rise from the bed and sweep from the room to regain her composure, he felt sick with guilt. He detested making his parents cross with him – not that it ever happened – but this was something different. To make his mother fear for her only child's life… Gumball reached under his pillow where he kept his secret research notes and stared down at them sadly.

It had taken a long time to collect information on the sweetgrass herb. Some people believed it didn't even exist anymore. But Gumball had spoken with the grassland nomads, and they confirmed that it still grew in one place: the Endless Wood. Sweetgrass was a temperamental plant. It only grew in darkness and sustained itself in brackish water. If it was exposed to sunlight, it wilted. If the pH balance of the water was the slightest bit off, the leaves turned poisonous. However, under just the right conditions, sweetgrass could be turned into a potent herbal medicine that was proven to cure deadly diseases to candy people. If Gumball could just get his hands on it…

A knock on his door pulled the prince from his thoughts. He scrambled to shove his notebook back under his pillow and called, "Come in!"

His mother entered with the family doctor at her heels. The doctor gave him a little bow and said, "Hello, prince. Her Highness tells me you've been under the weather."

"Well, I…" Gumball trailed off.

"Let's have a look at you."

The doctor conducted the usual physical, all the while asking questions. "Have you been eating properly? Have you been having abdominal pains? Muscle spasms? Weakness in your limbs?" Gumball answered accordingly, all the while aware of his mother's gaze. When the physical was over, the doctor drew a blood sample and stowed it in a vial in his pocket.

"Everything seems to be in order. I'd suggest a nice healthy breakfast and lots of bed rest. Tomorrow I'm sure you'll be fine," the doctor explained.

"So he has no symptoms?" the queen asked anxiously.

The doctor shook his head. "Of the Rot? No. I'll test the blood sample just to be sure, but children as young as the prince don't contract the Rot."

She still did not appear to be entirely at ease, and Gumball knew she wouldn't be until the blood test results came in. His stomach was in knots and he wanted to throw up from the guilt of making her worry so much. He was tempted to excuse himself to go do so, but the queen had another question.

"While you're here, could you… could you please take a look at my husband?"

The doctor let out a small sigh. "Of course, Your Highness. But I must warn you—"

"It's unlikely that anything has changed," she finished. "I know."

The doctor nodded and made his way out of Gumball's room to walk a path he was very familiar with. The Candy Queen turned to her son and asked quietly, "Will you please come with me to see your father?"

_No_, Gumball wanted to say. He wanted to stay as far away from the King's Tower as possible and never enter it again. He never wanted to see his father again, fearing that he would permanently taint the mental picture of his robust, cheerful king. Gumball wanted to remember his father as the man who taught him to dance by letting Gumball stand on his feet as the king led them around the ballroom. He wanted to remember the man who taught him the importance of chivalry and diplomacy, who taught Gumball the constellations at the planetarium, who gave him his first microscope.

Gumball wanted to resist with every fiber of his being, but the Candy Queen took his hand without waiting for an answer and guided him along the dreaded path to the King's Tower. If Gumball felt sick before, it was nothing compared to now. As they ascended the stairs, the sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh greeted his nostrils and the prince tasted bile in his throat. The queen seemed to not even notice it anymore; considering that she visited the tower daily, it came as no surprise.

The doctor remained impassive as he opened the heavy barred door to the King's Tower, and the Candy Queen entered with her son in tow. The odor assailed his senses and Gumball did everything in his power to keep from running out of the room. There was no smell as pungent and sickening as the one given off by victims of the Rot, and the Candy King was living proof.

"Carmen," the king's voice crackled. "Is it time for tea already?"

"No, love," she murmured. "I've brought the doctor in to have a look at you. And someone else as well."

She pulled Gumball forward and pushed him gently towards the king's sickbed. His legs felt like jelly, but Gumball forced himself to move forward. A foot from the bed, he stopped and looked down at his father. The king who had once been tall and strong seemed to have shrunk. He was barely a foot taller than Gumball, and looked as if he scarcely weighed anymore. His fierce pink beard had fallen out in tufts and only bits of it remained. At one time, his eyes glowed with life, but now they were sunken into his pallid face and the Rot had taken his sight. The Rot was so named because of its effect on candy people: the disease spread though the body and attacked small muscle groups and nonessential organs to start as it slowly eroded them. The more it destroyed, the stronger the disease got until it moved on to major organs and muscles. In the final stages of the Rot, it began to show on the outside, where it ate away at the skin and left reeking, open sores all over the body.

"Hello, Father," Gumball murmured.

The King's sightless eyes found Gumball's face and a strained smile touched his lips. "My boy. It has been so long."

"Yes, Father."

"I'm feeling better than before, you know. By the time your birthday arrives, I'll be sure to perform the opening dance with your mother. You've been practicing, haven't you?"

"Yes, Father."

"Very good. You'll have to show me. Hopefully with the princess you will marry. Would you like that, Carmen? We can have a classic royal family dance party. Just like when we were young."

"Of course, love. Just focus on recovering for now."

The doctor nodded to the queen, who then kissed her husband's forehead and said softly, "I'm going to escort the doctor out. But I'll be back shortly for afternoon tea."

"That will be lovely," the King sighed sleepily.

"Say goodbye to your father, sweetheart," the queen said.

"Goodbye, Father."

The Candy King, with great effort, raised one shaking hand to touch Gumball's sleeve. The king was cold and clammy; the prince wanted to jerk away from his father's touch, but he could not. Gumball nervously planted a kiss on his father's sunken cheek before hurrying from the room on his mother's heels.

Once the door was securely closed, the queen turned her attention on the doctor. He pulled off his glasses and cleaned them off on the corner of his lab coat before slowly replying, "His condition… has changed."

For one wild moment, the queen's eyes lit up. Gumball saw for one split second as the weight of her husband's illness lifted from her shoulders, and she looked ten years younger. But then the look on the doctor's face registered and she waited for him to continue.

"He is deteriorating quickly now. From the last examination, the rate of decay has increased by twenty, maybe even thirty percent. My original prognosis was that he would make it until the end of the year, but at this rate… he has a few weeks at best. A month, maybe two if a miracle happens."

All of the lightness went out of the queen at those words. The weight she bore seemed to double as it settled upon her once more. Gumball touched her hand, but she didn't even react.

"There's nothing you can do? You can't slow it down?"

"I've done everything I can, Your Highness. Shall I tell him, or shall you?"

Gumball interrupted, "What about sweetgrass?"

The doctor turned to the prince with a quirked eyebrow. "Sweetgrass, when properly treated, was proven to be effective at destroying the disease and restoring cells, but it hasn't been seen in any of the kingdoms for decades."

"But the grassland nomads have seen it! They say it's in the Endless Wood!"

The doctor snorted. "Those gypsies? I suppose they also told you they found a kingdom of _humans_, my prince?"

Gumball's brow furrowed and he stomped on the ground angrily. "They wouldn't lie. They told me it's there. They've _seen_it."

The Candy Queen put her hand on Gumball's shoulder and said softly, "Dearest, I want to cure your father, too. But we can't chase after an extinct plant. The gypsies… the _nomads_are known to tell tall tales. They know of the King's plight and I'm sure they told you about sweetgrass in order to swindle you into paying them to fetch it for you."

"But Mother—"

"Is there anything you can do to ease his passing? Make him more comfortable?" the queen asked the doctor.

Gumball stared in disbelief. His mother, who so desperately wanted to cure her husband, would not even try to go after the one thing that might save him. Furious, Gumball took off down and down until he ran into his bed room and slammed the door shut. Breathing heavily, the prince grabbed his cloak and threw it over his shoulders and fished out his notebook from under his pillow. He stowed it the pocket of his cloak and ran to the balcony. It was the middle of the day, and he was sure to be seen, but Gumball no longer cared. He whistled three clear notes and Lord Monochromicorn flew through the air and touched down on the bannister. The Lord clicked his hooves to ask, _What's going on?_

"We're going back to the Endless Woods," Gumball declared. He jumped on the Lord's back, but his steed hesitated.

_You told me we were never going back_, he tapped.

"The situation has changed," the prince explained. In his mind's eye, he saw the red eyes and Cheshire cat grin, but he couldn't let his fear control him. Gumball took a steadying breath and whispered, "Father is going to die. We have to go before it's too late."


	5. Imbitter

A/N: Awright, here's a long one for you guys! Sorry if there are any mistakes, I didn't have much time to proofread it xD I'll probably fix the mistakes later. But anyway, if you missed it in the last chapter, go check out rorpie who made me some sweet fanart! cumro2 . deviantart . com Thanks again, rorpie! And thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, faved, and read along!

(im)Perfect (c) me Adventure Time (c) Pen Ward

* * *

Lord Monochromicorn agreed to watch out for Gumball from above. The prince tried not to think about how difficult that would be considering how thick the treetops were. He took some comfort in the fact that it was daylight, and the Vampire King would not be able to take him by surprise this time.

The sun was setting, and Gumball had only traversed three of the narrow, twisted paths in the woods. He was covered in cuts and scrapes from crawling through nettles and tripping over hidden rocks and roots. Gumball was sweating and exhausted, but he couldn't quit. Every second mattered, and he had to locate the plant as soon as possible, preferably before the sun went down and he was unable to see. The prince cursed himself when he remembered he'd left behind the jar of fluorosmoke, but there was no time to go back for it now.

Gumball opened his notebook to the page where he'd sketched a rough map of the woods' paths. Furrowing his brow, the prince started off in another direction to the fourth path. His cloak snagged on a broken tree branch, and Gumball sighed as he paused to tug it free. Unfortunately, the branch would not let go. The prince set down his notebook and tried to untangle the cloak, but it was no good; the fine cloth had torn and twisted around the rough tree bark, and in his annoyance, Gumball decided to leave the cloak behind. He unclasped it from around his neck and turned back to pick up his notebook – only to find that it was no longer there.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Prince Gumwad."

Gumball's blood ran cold at the sound of the familiar voice. He looked around to find the source, and saw that the Vampire King was hovering behind him by his torn cloak and holding Gumball's notebook.

"Give that back!" Gumball demanded. He wanted to sound princely, but his voice cracked in his terror.

The Vampire King resembled a humanoid teenager once more, but this time he carried an umbrella. Gumball could not fathom why, though it was the least of his concerns.

"Why should I? You're in my territory after I warned you not to come back. I should kill you right now for trespassing," the Vampire King grinned.

Gumball's knees were knocking together and he wanted to run and scream for MoChro to help, but he had no time. His voice shook as he begged, "I'll take whatever punishment you deem fit, but first there's something I have to do. My father is dying and the only thing that can save him is the sweetgrass herb. The grassland nomads told me it still grows in these woods. If that's true, I must find it and bring it back to the kingdom to save my father. He doesn't have much time left… Please, just let me find the herb and bring it to him, and I give you my word, I'll accept your punishment."

The Vampire King yawned loudly and reclined midair as he flipped through the pages of Gumball's notebook. "How sad," he muttered. "Sorry to break it do you, kid, but I've never heard of sweetgrass."

Gumball's heart plummeted in his chest. "But… But look in the book. In the first few pages, there are pictures. The nomads drew them."

The Vampire King did so and quirked an eyebrow at the sketches. "Oh, this stuff. Sorry, I can't give it to you."

The prince stared in disbelief. "You can't give it to me…? But that means it's-it's really here?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It grows in my yard. Tastes good in sauce."

Gumball's brow furrowed. "I don't understand. Why can't you give it to me?"

"Because it's mine, Gumwad. That plant is pretty finicky and it took me a long time to grow it. Not to mention it's one of my favorite flavors. I'm not just going to give it to you," the Vampire King grinned.

"But my father _needs_it! He's… He's going to die without it," Gumball implored the undead teen. "You're just going to let him die when you have the resources to save him right here?"

Gumball could hardly believe such a selfish creature existed. He wanted to hurt the vampire, but he was so weak and knew nothing of fighting. His father's face came to mind, and tears formed in Gumball's eyes. He had come so close…

The cocky smirk on the vampire's face made Gumball want to scream. "Hey, now. All I said was that I wasn't going to give it to you. But you can buy it from me."

"What do you want?" Gumball replied. "Gold? Jewels? Land? Name it, and it's yours."

The Vampire King threw his head back and laughed. "Oh please. I don't need money or land. You want something that will save your dad's life. In return, you owe me something of equal value."

"I don't understand," Gumball murmured. "I just don't know what I could give you other than money…"

Something changed in the Vampire King's expression as he observed the Candy Prince. The vampire cocked his head to the side and regarded Gumball with a joyless smile. "You owe me something that will save a person's life. It's a trade, you see?"

Gumball was finding it hard to swallow. "All right. What is it that you—"

"Because you're in a hurry, I'll let you take the plant and go. After you've given it to daddy, you must give me your word that you'll come back here and fulfill your end of the bargain. Deal?"

The vampire extended his hand. Gumball looked down at it, hesitated for a moment, and then clasped the vampire's hand with his much smaller one.

"Deal," Gumball replied.

Rather than let go of him, the Vampire King scooped Gumball up in his arms and rose into the air with his umbrella propped over his shoulder. Gumball was about to scream, but the vampire started _flying_through the woods. It was like a bad rollercoaster ride that he couldn't escape from and the prince let out a wail. "What are you doing?!"

"Flying, genius. I thought you were in a hurry?"

"I am, but – this is making me feel ill!"

The vampire only laughed. Gumball closed his eyes to block out the images of trees flying by him, but his stomach still flipped with every dip and turn.

After what felt like forever, the vampire slowed and lowered Gumball to the ground. Gumball's weak knees wouldn't support him and he collapsed. Too late he realized he was in squishy mud, and he frowned in disgust. Before he could complain, he noticed something on his periphery. And his jaw dropped.

He was kneeling down at the edge of a marsh where narrow trees grew tall and strong out of the water. They grew enormous, thick leaves that blocked out all light from above. The only light around came from a fire several yards away. It was just bright enough to illuminate the plants that grew along the water's edge. Gumball crawled towards them and reached out to them with trembling hands.

"A distinct narrow stem… short, broad leaves… scarlet in color, rather than burgundy – meaning it hasn't become poisonous yet… This is it. This is it! No one believed me, but _this is it!_"

Gumball felt like crying. He turned around to see the Vampire King leaning against a modest house where the firelight was coming from. A smile so wide that it nearly hurt spread across the young prince's face.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Vampire… er, Your Highness."

The vampire was impassive as he closed the distance between them. When the undead teen stood inches away, he reached down and grabbed Gumball by the collar of his shirt and yanked him up to eye level. A scowl revealed his set of sharp white teeth, and the Vampire King growled, "Take it and go. But don't forget to hold up your end of the bargain, little prince."

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Gumball and Lord Monochromicorn returned to the Candy Kingdom. Even before they touched down outside the gates, the banana guards were swarming about. They shouted incoherently at their prince, but Gumball paid them no attention. He slipped off of MoChro's back and threw open the doors of the castle. He dashed to the throne room where he found his mother pacing like a caged animal. When she saw him, the queen burst into tears. She dashed to her son and pulled him into a smothering embrace.

"My son… I was so worried. What happened to you? You've been missing for hours, I worried that… that you'd been kidnapped or, or…"

"Mother, I found sweetgrass. We can save Father and everyone else with the Rot, everything is going to be okay!" Gumball exclaimed breathlessly.

She stared down at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember, sweetgrass? We talked about it earlier, and I told you about the nomads, how they said it grows in the Endless Wood! They were right, Mother! I found it, it's abundant, this is only the—"

Her sharp intake of breath caused Gumball to fall silent. She looked horrified. "You went into the Endless Wood? Alone?"

"MoChro was with me," Gumball insisted.

The Candy Queen slapped her son across the face, breaking down into another fit of tears. "You foolish boy," she sobbed as she clung to him. "How dare you. You know the Endless Wood is forbidden. It's dangerous. You could have _died!_"

"But I'm all right, Mother," Gumball insisted. His cheek stung as if he'd been burned. "I didn't mean for you to worry. I just wanted to save Father."

She held him at arm's length and Gumball counted every tear in her eyelashes. "There are unspeakable things lurking in that forest. And you would do something as foolhardy as chase down some mythical plant… That you would risk your life when you are the last heir to the kingdom…"

"Someone had to do it," Gumball said. He wanted his mother to stop crying, but he was furious that she did not see the benefit of his venture into the woods. "You wouldn't listen to me. No one would. Am I the only one who truly wants to save Father? And all the others with the Rot? I found the sweetgrass! I can save everyone! Why aren't you happy? Father will _live!_"

"Stop it," the Candy Queen insisted. "Sweetgrass doesn't exist. You're only going to get your hopes up for—"

"Mother, _look!_"

He thrust the bag of leaves under her nose. She looked down at them and shook her head. "It can't be. It's not real."

"It is. It will save Father. Let me try, Mother. He doesn't have any other options."

The queen hesitated. She regarded her son's determined glare with a frown. Another tear slipped down her cheek. "Go, then. We'll talk about your punishment later."

* * *

Three days passed and Gumball had gotten exactly four hours of sleep in that time. He spent his days closed up in his laboratory with his shades drawn and the only light source being his fluorosmoke so that he did not harm the delicate sweetgrass plant. In those three days, he'd tried numerous different ways to create a medicine from the herb. He tried a simple paste made of the leaves to spread over the sores, which proved to be effective, but too slow on a case as advanced as his father's. Gumball mixed different herbs and liquids, creating gels and powders and pills, all containing sweetgrass and various other substances that had been used in the past to treat the Rot, and some that had never been considered before. Gumball had no time for mistakes. He had to find the right treatment – and fast.

Unfortunately, the prince could barely keep his eyes open. His notes blurred and the green glow of fluorosmoke obscured everything within his vision. He was slipping away into a dreamless slumber when he heard a sharp rap on the window. Gumball bolted upright in his chair and stared around wildly for the source of the noise. He heard the clatter of glass once again and stumbled to the window. Clumsily he drew back the shades and gasped at the sight.

Just outside of the window was the Vampire King.

The vampire called through the glass, "Open it."

Gumball wanted to object, but what choice did he have? If he refused, the vampire would probably smash through the glass on his own. With shaking hands, the prince opened the window. The vampire slipped inside and looked around with a quirked eyebrow.

"Is all this science-y junk yours?"

"Y-Yes," Gumball muttered.

"What a nerd. Anyway, you never took your notebook with you. Figured you might need it or something."

Gumball stared in disbelief as the vampire handed him the notebook full of sweetgrass information. The prince took it as the Vampire King floated around the lab looking at various objects. He observed the contents of a mortar and pestle as he asked, "Did you cure your dad yet?"

"No. I... I've made every combination of medicine I can think of, but nothing seems to be working fast enough. I've decreased his overall rate of decay, but the cells aren't repairing as well as expected. With continued treatment, I may extend his life by a few weeks at most, but he won't make a full recovery unless I find out what I'm doing wrong…"

"Have you made tea?"

"No, I – pardon me, what?" Gumball must have heard him wrong.

"Tea. You know. That stuff you prissy royals like to drink all day long. It says right in your notebook the grassland nomads make tea from sweetgrass leaves when they get colds, and they feel 'rejuvenated' afterwards."

It couldn't be. It just _couldn't_ be that obvious. Could it? Gumball stumbled over to his work bench right underneath the fluorosmoke and flipped to the third page of his notebook where he'd furiously scribbled down all the information about sweetgrass that the nomads could provide. And just there, halfway down the page amidst all of his other meticulous notes, was one bulleted point that Gumball hadn't taken seriously.

_Cures colds when brewed in tea. Nomads swear by it. Rejuvenating_.

"It's too simple. This can't really be it…" Gumball muttered. He looked around him at all of his other failed medicines that he'd worked so hard on. He'd spent so long studying them and creating drafts of potential cures in his notebook, and yet here was the simplest answer sitting right in front of him.

"You might as well try it," the vampire shrugged. "If nothing else, it tastes pretty good."

Gumball couldn't believe what he was about to do. But he was running out of options, and his father's life was on the line. He sighed as he filled the kettle and set it over the single burner to boil.

* * *

"Father?" Gumball called softly.

"Come in," the Candy King replied.

Gumball stepped into the King's Tower room to find his mother and the doctor already sitting with his father. The king was sipping scarlet colored tea from a cup the queen held to his lips while the doctor scribbled away at the clipboard on his knee.

"How are you today, Father?" Gumball asked.

The king looked no better, but his smile came much more easily now. "Better than yesterday."

The doctor nodded in agreement. "Since he started drinking that tea a week ago, His Highness is doing better than before. The decomposition has nearly stopped, but the cells have yet to repair themselves."

"I'm sure if we give the treatment some more time, you'll be fine, Father," Gumball smiled.

However, no one seemed to agree with him. The queen set down the cup of tea and folded her shaking hands in her lap. The doctor stopped his scribbling. His father only smiled.

"My boy, I'm afraid there isn't more time," the King said tiredly.

"What do you mean? Now that the decomposition has stopped, your life expectancy has lengthened. There's no shortage of sweetgrass either, so—"

The doctor cut him off. "The decomposition has stopped, but the Rot has spread too much. It's attacked the King's vital organs to the point where they will never regenerate. His muscle and skin tissue might, given the time, but his body won't last long enough for that to happen."

Gumball gaped at them. From the doctor's solemn eyes to his mother's silent tears to his father's kind, tired smile.

"But… I don't understand… I found the cure. You're supposed to be okay."

"You did find the cure," the Candy King replied. "You've done something noble that will benefit thousands of others. Countless lives will be saved by your actions. I couldn't be more proud of you."

"I don't care!" the prince shouted. "The whole point was to save your life!"

"You've done something even more important," the King said softly. "You've allowed me to die with dignity. Had the Rot run its course, my brain would have gone next. I probably would have forgotten you and your mother entirely. But now—"

"There must be a way. I'll – I'll figure something out. Just give me some more time, I'll find a way to fix you!" Gumball didn't realize he was crying until he tasted his own tears.

"Sweetheart," the queen started.

_Slam_.

Gumball ran from the room, shoving the door shut behind him, and he bolted down the stairs to his basement laboratory. He threw open the doors and looked around wildly. He had dozens of notes and charts, the greatest collection of equipment in the world, and the mind of a genius – and yet as he hopelessly flipped through notes and mixed chemicals, he found himself sobbing hopelessly. His father was going to die, and there was nothing he could do. With tears streaming down his face, the prince threw the delicate glass beakers to the floor where they spilled their contents and shattered into a thousand pieces. Gumball's chest felt like it was about to burst. He faced his fears and went into the deadly Endless Wood, stood up to the Vampire King, and found a cure that no one else believed existed. And it was all for nothing.

* * *

The Candy King's funeral came and went. His passing came more quickly than expected. Another week was all it took before his body gave out. He and the queen made their final arrangements, and shortly after, he gave Gumball's hand one last squeeze, his brow one last kiss, and he said, "I am so proud of you, my little prince."

Those were the last words the King ever spoke to Gumball, but not even death brought Gumball a sense of closure. He stood by his mother's side in his finest clothes as the Candy Queen proclaimed, "All hail King Mentos! May his spirit find peace!"

The mausoleum doors opened and the pallbearers brought the king's casket inside. Even as he watched, Gumball felt like running after them and screaming at them _Stop, my father's alive! You can't put him in there!_

Though the prince couldn't come to terms with it, it wouldn't change the fact that the king had died. Gumball stared emotionlessly at the funeral procession. This time, his eyes were dry. Perhaps he'd cried them all out, just as he'd shouted out all of his screams and thrashed out all of his tantrums. He let his mother conduct the rest of the affairs herself as the prince wandered aimlessly around the castle gardens until he arrived back in his bedroom. He threw himself face down on his bed without moving for what felt like hours.

Eventually there was a soft knock on his door, and it opened even though he gave no answer. He felt his mother's gentle hand on his back and she said, "You didn't save his life, but you let him die happy. And for that, I'm glad. I'm so sorry I doubted you."

"What's the point? He's dead. It was all for nothing."

"That isn't true. You can still save others."

"I don't care about others," Gumball snapped as he slowly sat up.

The Candy Queen kissed him on the cheek and a watery smile tugged at her lips. "Do you care about me?"

"Of course," Gumball said, puzzled. "But what…?"

The queen pulled up the long sleeve of her gown and revealed her forearm to the prince. Gumball stared at the red sore welling up on her arm which had just started to break the skin. When she pulled her sleeve back, a faint sickly sweet rotting smell hit Gumball, a smell he'd become accustomed to by spending so much time with his father for the past two weeks. There was no doubt in his mind as to what it was.

Gumball couldn't help it. He threw himself in his mother's arms and hugged her tightly. The Candy Queen whispered to him and rand her fingers through his hair.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart," she cooed. "You saved my life."


	6. Imitate

A/N: Hoooly crap, this turned out to be a much bigger chapter than I intended. To my fellow Americans, consider it a Thanksgiving Day gift! And to the awesome folks from everywhere else, I guess it's a Happy Thursday gift! :D Regardless, enjoy~ And if you have the time, please review!

_(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

A cloudless sky that stretched on as far as the eye could see filled Gumball's vision. It was past noon, meaning his lessons were over and he was free to do as he wished… for a few moments before he was ushered into the audience chamber to hear the pleas and complaints of various citizens of the Candy Kingdom. Gumball sighed, retreating from his balcony and dragging his feet as he made the descent downstairs. The Candy Prince wouldn't be crowned as the king until after he married, but with King Mentos' death came more responsibility than Gumball could have imagined. Gumball was always prepared to become king someday; in fact, the idea thrilled him. However, as he adjusted his crown and straightened his cloak, he found himself feeling sick as he entered the audience chamber.

The banana guards had to hold the crowd of people back to form a path for the prince. His mother awaited on the smaller throne beside the enormous one Gumball had to occupy. The prince bit his lip and made his way up the dais and sat down. The seat was large and stiff, and Gumball was too small to properly rest his hands upon the armrests.

"_All hail Prince Gumball!_" the Peppermint Maid proclaimed, as the crowd echoed her cry.

The queen extracted a scroll from her sleeve with a list of names. One by one, she called each citizen forward to present their issues to Gumball. Sometimes it was up to him to settle a feud or land dispute. Other times, he had to give out loans or rations. Occasionally, he would have to sentence someone to exile or imprisonment. He tried to use his best judgment and recall information from his studies, but talking to people was different from reading from a book. It was infinitely more difficult. More than once, people stormed out in a rage in response to Gumball's decisions. One time, someone spat on the fringe of his cloak. The queen tried to guide her son in the right direction, but it was hopeless. When a farmer came in to complain that his neighbor was stealing from his stores, Gumball knew the proper thing to do. The _kingly_ thing to do. But instead, he said, "The percentage of missing items is quite small, so it was probably a mistake on your part. I know it must be difficult for you, but please keep accurate records in order for your accusations to be viable."

"What's that supposed to mean, it must be _difficult_ for me?" the licorice farmer snapped.

"Commoners don't receive the best education. I know that, and I sympathize with that. However, just because you have some difficulty with sums or filing records, doesn't mean you can just blame your neighbor for theft. You need evidence."

"I can add just fine, _Your Highness_," the farmer growled. "I know my neighbor has them because they're in my crates – which have my name carved in them!"

"Are you certain you didn't let him borrow the crates? Because people can be quite forgetful—"

"I did not let him borrow my crates. He took them out of my cellar. Now are you going to make him return my wares or not? Your Highness?"

"As I said. Accurate bookkeeping and making note of things you lend out to friends would have helped you greatly today. In this situation, I'm afraid—"

"You know what? Forget it. I was a fool to think a boy could handle my affairs."

The farmer turned to leave, but the banana guards blocked his way. The queen rose to her feet and said firmly, "You may not like his ruling, but this boy is your prince and your future king. I will forgive your insolence this once, but I will not tolerate further disrespect."

"My apologies. If you'll excuse me, Queen Carmen."

With a stiff nod from the queen, the banana guards allowed the farmer to pass. As she slowly sat back down, Gumball jumped to his feet.

"The queen will hear the rest. I… I believe I shall retire early today."

She would be cross with him, but the queen wouldn't chastise her son in front of others. She gave him a stern look, and Gumball swept from the chamber with the cry of _"All hail the prince!_" echoing behind him.

Once he was out of sight, Gumball took off his crown and contemplated throwing it down the well. Why didn't anyone ever tell him being the king was so _hard_? Everyone loved his father. His father was an amazing ruler, and everyone seemed to be happy with his decisions. Father always made the right ones. But Gumball knew that if his father could see him, he would be disappointed. Nothing was going right at all. No one seemed to like him, and Gumball didn't like any of his own people. How could he? They were so ignorant. They lied, cheated, stole, and fought like a bunch of greedy children. How could he love his people the way his father did? As the prince slouched down on the stairs, he wondered why he never thought to ask the king these things before he died.

Then something occurred to him. Why not ask other kings how they handled their audiences? There was the King of Lumpy Space, Cute King, Flame King, and Goblin King.

Lumpy Space King was hardly a role model, Gumball had to admit. The people of Lumpy Space were simple; candy people were far more complex. Lumpy Space King's experience with difficult situations like the ones Gumball always had to face was definitely limited, so it wouldn't be advisable to go to him.

Cute King's appearance was as deceptive as his name; the Cutie was notorious for being a tyrannical ruler, and Gumball knew his father would be rolling in his grave if he discovered his successor was taking tips from such a person. The same thing applied to Flame King, only his people were nearly as evil as the king himself.

Goblin King smelled quite bad, and regardless of his leadership techniques, Gumball decided to rule him out.

He was on the verge of losing hope when he remembered one other king he knew.

-

_No._

"Please?"

_No._

"But MoChro, I _need_ to go."

_What you need to do is to stay away from there._

"Why? He isn't going to kill me. He could have killed me a long time ago if he really wanted to. He even knows where I live."

_All the more reason to stay away_.

"You're being ridiculous. Please just take me there. Otherwise, I'll walk."

_You won't walk all the way to the Endless Wood_.

"Watch me."

Gumball turned on his heel, only to have MoChro twist around and plant his hooves defiantly in front of the prince. He could feel his friend's anger.

_Fine. But we're not separating this time._

"I knew you'd come around," Gumball grinned.

The two took off along the familiar sky route to the Endless Wood once again. For the first time, Gumball went hoping to see the Vampire King. It was a strange feeling because Gumball was still quite afraid of the vampire. Any moment, he could suck the candy prince dry, snap him in two, tear him limb from limb. But Gumball tried not to think about that. As unsettling as the vampire was, he'd been helpful. It was only because of the Vampire King that Gumball found sweetgrass and discovered the cure to the Rot. Without the Vampire King's actions, not only would his father be dead, but his mother would have been dying now as well. Perhaps he'd been too late to save the Candy King, but his mother had been saved. _A life for a life_, the vampire had said.

It didn't take long for MoChro to locate the correct path to the vampire's home. It was a tight squeeze, and he had to fly above the treetops for much of the ride, but MoChro remembered picking up Gumball in the marshy spot which was the vampire's backyard.

"Do you hear… music?" Gumball asked.

MoChro's ears twitched and he tossed his head in response. Slowly, he wedged in between the tree trunks and an ungodly sound greeted Gumball's ears. The young prince pressed his hands over his ears to block out the noise, but the air was vibrating with some bizarre music that made his teeth chatter. Even MoChro's hair stood on end.

A sight like none Gumball had ever seen lay before him. People were everywhere. All kinds of people. Wizards, goblins, animals, fire elementals – they all formed an enormous group in the clearing that made up the Vampire King's backyard and house. Multicolored lights flashed wildly from inside the house that made Gumball's eyes ache. And that music, if you could even call it that, blared from a huge set of speakers sitting outside of the house. Everyone was swaying and shaking and jumping, doing all kinds of erratic things that kind of scared Gumball. He was tempted to leave, but someone floated right in front of him.

"And so the prissy prince graces us with his presence!" the Vampire King declared. He swept into a bow so exaggerated that he somersaulted in midair when he dipped his head.

"What is everyone doing?" Gumball shouted over the music.

"Dancing, obviously."

"_That _is not dancing!"

The Vampire King replied, though Gumball could barely hear him. He took his hands away from his ears but then the horrendous music gave him a piercing headache. With a smirk, the vampire king gestured away from his house, deeper into the woods. Gumball nodded, grateful to get away. MoChro hesitated but followed the vampire. Once they were several yards away, the vampire stopped and settled down on a tree branch. He reached out to touch MoChro; the steed whickered and turned his head out of reach.

The vampire only laughed. "Your horse doesn't like me."

"He's not a horse," Gumball pouted.

"Whatever," Marshall shrugged. "You're here for the party?"

"Party?" Gumball asked with his brow furrowed. "You mean that mob of lunatics bouncing around outside of your house?"

The vampire quirked an eyebrow. "Those lunatics are my friends and fans rocking out to some sweet tunes. I don't think I invited you, though. But I guess you can stay as long as you're not lame."

"I'm not here for your… party. I came here because I need your help," Gumball said.

"Last time I checked, you still owed me. What makes you think I'd help you?"

"In that case, I'll gladly repay you for the sweetgrass right now. Ask of me whatever you wish."

The vampire took a moment to observe the prince before he shrugged casually. "I still have some, uh, preparations to make before you go about holding up your end of the deal. Luckily for you, I might consider helping you out again anyway, and we can settle the rest of our bargain later."

"Fair enough. I need advice, and I'm not sure who else to turn to," Gumball explained. "If you can't help me, I'm not sure if there's anyone who can."

"Sure thing, Gumwad. What do you need help with? Getting chicks? Jazzing up your wardrobe?"

"Being a king."

The vampire stared. He seemed to not understand. Gumball thought he'd been very plain, but he decided to elaborate. "You see, I don't know how to talk to my subjects. They're all very simple minded for the most part, and I can't seem to talk to them without making them angry. I always say the wrong things and I'm afraid that they'll hate me before I'm even crowned. So… what do _you_ do when you have to talk to your subjects? How do you make them like you? And how do you put up with all the stress and pressure? Does it ever get easier? Does it bother you that they're so uneducated? How-"

"Wait a minute." The vampire held up his hand and stared at the candy prince. "You're asking _me_ for advice on doing kingly shit."

"Essentially, yes," Gumball replied. "I know it's a bit of a strange request, seeing that I know so little about you and your kingdom, but any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated."

A toothy grin spread across the vampire's face. There was something wicked in that grin, but Gumball had little choice as the vampire took him by the hand and dragged him along.

"Heh. In that case, the best way to advise you is to show you. Ditch the pony. He's too conspicuous," the vampire said.

MoChro snorted defiantly in response and bucked away from the vampire. Gumball managed to settle him with a few soft words. "I can take care of myself, MoChro. I promise."

His steed tapped furiously on the ground with his hoof. Gumball flushed as he said, "MoChro wants me to tell you that he'll be listening from above, and if you try to harm me, he'll kill you."

"He can try," the vampire said nonchalantly. MoChro was far from pleased, but Gumball gave him an apologetic look and allowed the vampire to float away with him. They made their way through the trees until they arrived at the back of the vampire's house where he opened up a window. Gumball stared.

"Pardon me… but why are we going through the window of your own house? Why don't we just use the front door?"

"What, and let people think I brought a square like you to a rad party? Psh. We're sneaking in to keep you hidden."

Gumball awkwardly clambered in the window after the vampire and found himself in a dark bedroom. The vampire flicked on a light and began rummaging through his closet. He plucked out a shirt and held it up to Gumball.

"You're so scrawny," the vampire frowned.

"What are you doing?" Gumball asked incredulously.

"Trying to find clothes for you that make you look normal."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Gumball asked, taken aback. He loved his clothes. Today he was wearing his very favorite magenta sweater vest over a white button up and a pair of matching slacks.

"Everything," the vampire sighed, and continued to raid his closet.

"What do my clothes have to do anything?"

"The best way to show you how I handle being a king is to have you shadow me. But you can't do that dressed like..." the vampire paused, looked over at the prince, and cringed, "like _that_."

"Why not?"

"It's a party, you freaking nerd. You need to look like a party goer. Hmm... Maybe this will fit you. Go put these on."

The vampire tossed an armful of clothing at the prince, and then shoved him towards the adjacent bathroom. Gumball stumbled inside, and several minutes later, walked out with a scarlet flush coloring his cheeks.

"This is barbaric."

The vampire snorted. "It's an improvement."

Gumball wore a pair of loose cutoff jeans and a bright red sleeveless t shirt with a pair of tennis shoes that were a size too big and ripping from the sole on one foot. He'd never felt more ridiculous in all his life.

"I can't go out looking like this. This is just silly."

"Do you wanna learn or not, Gumwad?"

"But I don't see how—"

The vampire hissed and bared his fangs, making Gumball cry out in surprise. He was about to run when the undead teen burst out in a fit of laughter and said, "Hurry up, kid. The night is young, and we have a _lot_ of work to do."

Gumball followed the vampire into the living room where the music grew louder and lots of people had packed in. When they saw him, many of them grinned and high fived him or clapped him on the back. A fire elemental howled, "Radical rager, Marshall Lee!"

One girl snaked her way through the crowd and threw her arms around him. She had gray skin and stark white hair, and she wore a tiny black dress that barely concealed her. Gumball averted his eyes and he felt himself blushing furiously. "Hey, Marshall," the girl smiled, and kissed him on the lips.

"Fashionably late as always, Ashlyn?" said Marshall Lee the Vampire King.

She rolled her eyes and cast a glance over at Gumball. "I can see that's not the case with your friend over here."

"Oh, him?" Marshall shrugged. "We're not really friends. Just acquaintances."

"Is that your shirt he's wearing?" the girl giggled.

_No_, Gumball thought miserably_, NOW I've never felt more ridiculous_.

"It's a long story, babe."

"Whatever," she bubbled. "I'm looking forward to the after party. You know. Our _private_ after party."

Marshall smirked. "Sure thing. Go mingle and I'll catch up with you later."

After an even longer kiss, the girl left and the vampire noticed Gumball again. And he laughed. "You're about as red as a strawberry. What's wrong, never seen a kiss before?"

"Not one like that," Gumball admitted. "It was almost indecent. Why would you do that in front of others?"

"My house, my party, my rules. I do what I want. And so does everyone else, as long as we're all chill."

Gumball continued to amble after Marshall Lee as the vampire was frequently stopped for high fives, fist bumps, and chest bumps. He just floated along and everyone noticed him. Everyone smiled when they saw him, and they waved to him and grinned and called him by his name without any titles or formalities. After several minutes, the vampire turned to Gumball and said, "Bro, you need to loosen up. Why don't you go dance? Mingle with some people, kiss a few girls!"

"Dance? To that racket?" Gumball asked, pointing at the speakers outside.

"Um, duh," Marshall Lee replied.

Gumball frowned. "That is _not _dancing."

"Course it is."

"Then let me rephrase, that's not how _I _dance."

"So go give it a try!"

Gumball stomped on the ground in frustration. "How is this helping me learn to be a king?"

"Listen, dude. The only way you're gonna learn is by getting to know people. You gotta understand 'em, you know? And the best way to get to know these guys is by blending in with them."

"But… I don't know _how_," Gumball said hopelessly.

Marshall took him by the shoulder and guided him outside where the music was painfully loud and the crowd had grown even larger. The vampire shouted, "Just shake your butt a lot and jump when everyone else does. You'll blend right in."

To Gumball, it felt like he'd entered a parallel universe where all the rules he thought he knew were warped beyond recognition. He tried to mimic the smooth, effortless, wild dance Marshall moved to, but he felt so stiff and uncomfortable. Several people noticed Marshall dancing and moved closer to form a group to dance with him, but Gumball was quickly phased out of the circle. He stood by and shuffled from foot to foot as the others danced crazily in front of him. Everything smelled like smoke and sweat, and Gumball found himself wishing he'd never come. How stupid was he to try taking advice from the Vampire King!

"Hey little boy, isn't it past your bed time?"

Gumball looked to his right where the white haired girl from earlier appeared.

"No. I don't have a bed time."

The girl snickered. "I'm so impressed. Why are you hanging around Marshall Lee so much?"

"He's supposed to be showing me what he does to be a good king, but… I don't understand. Why is he on a first name basis with his people? How is he so relaxed? And for that matter, where is his kingdom? This territory doesn't even belong to anyone."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Marshall doesn't do king stuff. He parties and travels. And these aren't his people, because the vampires don't have a kingdom."

"How can he be a king without a kingdom?" Gumball asked incredulously.

"You don't know the first thing about night creatures, do you?" the girl huffed. "Marshall's been the king for the last thousand years because he killed the previous vampire king. His 'people' don't come around because they're all afraid of him, and none are strong enough to kill him and reclaim the title."

"So he's a king with no land and no people, meaning he has no responsibilities. No wonder why he's so laid back," Gumball grumbled. He felt even more ignorant than before. The candy prince would have been better off asking Lumpy Space King for help.

"Why do you care so much about his stupid title, anyway?" the girl asked.

Before Gumball could form an answer, Marshall appeared from the mob with a devious smile and grabbed Gumball by the arm. "C'mon dude, let loose!"

Gumball's cheeks burned as the Vampire King took control of his arms and guided him through bizarre dance moves. The prince was so embarrassed. He tried asking Marshall Lee to stop, but his words were drowned. After some time, the vampire let go of the prince to dance on his own, and Gumball – strangely – found himself still moving to the beat of the music. The rational part of his brain wanted to stop, but the sound was filling him up and moving him all on its own. And Gumball… kind of liked it. He looked around at all the other people who were dancing alone, or in a group, or with Marshall. They were positively wild and crazy. They didn't know who Gumball was, and he didn't know them. For the first time in his life, Gumball didn't have to worry about being a prince. About being proper and professional and… perfect. He could just let go.

"Now you're getting the hang of it!" Marshall Lee shouted.

Gumball realized he was smiling. It was the first real smile he'd had since his father died, or maybe even longer than that. For just a few minutes, he forgot about his awkwardness and responsibilities. He could smile and dance and breathe easily for a while. And that was the most refreshing feeling in the world.

Maybe hours passed, or maybe days. Whenever the music slowed and people began to leave, Gumball started to wind down. He and Marshall Lee walked off towards the vampire's home covered in sweat and smiling.

"You're not bad, kid. I mean, your dancing still looked pretty lame, but you can party."

"Thanks," Gumball said.

"Did you learn anything?"

"I don't think so," the prince muttered. "You're not exactly the role model I was looking for."

The vampire reclined midair and said, "Is that so? I think you'll have to come back for another lesson."

Gumball stopped, his eyes widening in surprise. "You mean… another party?"

Marshall Lee rolled his eyes, but a smile toyed on his lips. "Obviously. Nerd."

For a moment, the prince was torn. He could shirk his duties, defy his mother, and risk his health to spend time at what may well have been the coolest place in all the kingdoms… or turn down the offer, continue on his tedious daily life with no escape routes in sight.

"I-I'll think about it," Gumball replied.

"Cool. See you around, bro," the vampire said.

A thought hit Gumball like a sack of bricks. The vampire turned away and the prince realized he had a golden opportunity sitting right in front of him. How could he have been so blind before?

"Wait, Marshall Lee!"

He turned his head, and Gumball quickly stammered, "Is it okay if I call you that?"

"Um, yeah. What's—"

"Are we friends now?"

"Sure…?"

The Candy Prince could not have been happier. "Excellent! Mother is having a ball for my twelfth birthday in two days, and she's worried that I have no friends. I'd like to bring you as my honored guest so that she can see that she has nothing to worry about!"

"You want me to go to a _ball_ with you?"

"Yes, please. I'd be grateful."

"I'll think about it," Marshall Lee replied.

Gumball was in too good of a mood to care. He went back into the house to gather up his own clothes before he disappeared from the crowd and whistled for Lord Monochromicorn. His friend touched down looking disgruntled. Gumball began to chatter away, though he looked back into the thinning crowd for a moment. When he did, he saw a girl with snow white hair glaring at him as he went.


	7. Impugn

A/N: ;A; forgive meee. This update is a few days later than it should have been, but my wonky work schedule this week screwed up my sleeping patterns/social life, so I had to get those back on track first and foremost. Now that I'm also no longer stressing about NaNoWriMo (lolol didn't finish for the 4th consecutive year -cries- ) updates will be every 4-5 days. Thanks for your patience, and thanks to you super awesome readers, reviewers, followers, and favoriters!

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

* * *

Prince Gumball found no more pleasure in holding audiences with his people, so he was more than relieved when it was finally over for the day. As the sun began to set, the guards ushered out all of the candy people in the chamber, and Gumball eased himself out of the oversized throne. He was sore from sitting so stiffly all day. The queen put a gentle hand on his shoulder and massaged the aching muscles once all the people had gone. The little prince smiled.

"You party is tomorrow," the queen reminded him.

"I remember."

"Are you excited?"

"Of course, Mother," Gumball replied.

Together, the royal mother and son left the throne room and headed towards the veranda by the garden for their evening tea. They settled themselves into dainty wrought iron chairs and helped themselves to the array of delicate pastries spread before them. The Peppermint Maid awaited poured their tea before she was dismissed.

Gumball took a small sip of his drink while the queen observed him carefully. "I heard from the gumdrop children that you missed out on your play date yesterday."

The prince nearly gagged on his tea. Quickly, he replied, "Ah, yes. I was quite tired and slept through my alarm. I sent them each a letter of apology, though."

"Why were you so tired? You turned in early the night before," the queen reminded him.

As far as she knew, anyway. Little did the queen know, Gumball spent most of the at the Vampire King's party. For a moment, the prince wondered how she'd react if he told her that. Would she even believe him? Gumball thought it was better not to risk it. Regardless, when Gumball finally returned home, he was so exhausted that he couldn't even bring himself to get out of bed until the early afternoon. And by then, it was time to hold court once more.

"Oh, you know. I was conducting some experiments, that's all. I got caught up in the heat of my research and lost track of time."

The Candy Queen let out a small sigh. "Sweetheart, I'm afraid you're spending too much time on your experiments. You need to interact with the other children more. Perhaps the gumdrop children wouldn't have been my first choice, but I thought it would be an opportunity for you to invite a special guest to your birthday ball tomorrow."

Gumball brightened at the comment. "Don't be silly, Mother. I've already invited someone."

She coughed on the half chewed biscuit in her mouth and her eyes widened at her son. "Is that so?"

The prince nodded proudly and puffed up his chest. "And it's not some little gumdrop lass. I invited a _royal_ to the ball."

A moment passed where the queen seemed to be unable to decide whether or not the boy was joking. She tried to catch some hint of a lie, but her son was a terrible liar. There was nothing in his radiant expression to suggest that this was a bluff, although the queen had her reservations. A hesitant smile touched her lips, and she asked, "Truly? My, my. Who is the lucky darling?"

The Candy Prince grinned over the rim of his teacup. "It's a surprise."

* * *

The following morning, Gumball was awoken by the sound of gentle snorting and a wet muzzle in his face. The Candy Prince opened his eyes to see that Lord Monochromicorn had entered his room to nudge him awake. He threw back the covers and flung his arms around his dearest friend.

_Happy birthday_, MoChro tapped.

"Thank you!"

It took hardly seconds, if that, for Gumball to become entirely alert. He felt like he had the energy to climb a mountain, to run to the Fire Kingdom, to dance until his legs fell off. Humming happily, the prince skipped to his closet to fish out his favorite formal outfit. It was a magenta tailcoat with matching slacks, a satin rose colored vest, and a snow white button up.

"How do I look?" the prince chirped.

_Dashing_, MoChro replied. _But why are you changing so early? The party isn't until evening._

"Hush, you. I want to look good all day today!"

Together, the prince and lord strutted through the halls of the Candy Castle as they made their way to the great hall for breakfast. Gumball sat down proudly at the head of the table and smiled at all of the castle staff as they passed. The Peppermint Maid bowed when he settled himself in.

"You look wonderful, my prince," she said.

"My thanks. I think I'll have cake for breakfast today."

Laughter tinkled from just behind the head chair and the queen leaned over to plant a kiss on her son's brow.

"You'll spoil your appetite for your cake tonight," she chided gently.

"I could never spoil my liking for cake," the prince reminded her. "But as you wish. I'll begin with a Danish and iced hibiscus tea."

The queen sat down to the left of her son and smiled. It was tinged with sadness that she could not completely hide, like a shadow blocking rays of the sun.

"Happy birthday, dearest."

Gumball smiled shyly as his mother straightened a few stray pieces of his hair and tilted his bow tie into place. The queen began to explain for what must have been the twentieth time all of the princesses, kings, lords, ladies, dukes, and duchesses attending the ball. She drilled her son on whom each one was, where they ruled, what they were like. A prince had to befriend and form strong bonds with other royals, after all. Gumball never allowed his attention to stray, but he found himself growing antsy. He wanted to run through the gardens or go for a stroll with MoChro. He was bursting with energy and he wasn't entirely sure what to focus it on, but his half eaten pastry and his mother's lectures were losing his interest.

The queen eventually seemed to notice her son's fidgeting and gave him leave to do as he wished until the party began. "Don't stray too far," she warned him.

After riding through Marshmallowy Mweadows with MoChro and stopping for a lunch break in the castle gardens, the prince noticed the time and returned to the castle to help make desserts for the feast. Normally this would be discouraged, but Gumball was a fantastic baker and he loved to be in the kitchen, so who could deny him something he loved on his birthday? He could barely contain his excitement. Gumball was not a social butterfly or an impeccable host, but he loved parties. He loved to watch people dance and close their eyes as music flowed through them. He loved to have others eat the desserts he prepared gauge their reactions to improve his recipes. Most of all, as much as he disliked being in crowds, Gumball was overjoyed to see so many happy people. Perhaps this view had been tarnished somewhat by his troubles in dealing with the common folk, but those sour thoughts couldn't dissuade him on such an occasion.

"Prince, it's time to begin!" one of the staff called.

Gumball took off his apron and checked himself for splotches of flour and batter before marching out of the kitchen to join his mother in the ball room. She smiled when she saw him and took his hand in hers. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," the prince replied.

Together, they entered the magnificent ball room. It was filled with dozens of delicate tables and chairs where the royals from all of Ooo and even some low born candy people had gathered. There were at least two hundred of them in total, and when the prince arrived, all rose in greeting.

"Smile," the queen reminded him.

As happy as he was, Gumball's elation began to fade slowly as he scanned the crowd. There was no sign of his most important guest.

The Candy Queen made the formal announcements, welcoming everyone to the ball and thanking them for celebrating the future king's special day, and when that was finished, she cued the orchestra to begin. All that time, Gumball's eyes searched the crowd for that shock of jet black hair, and he found himself worrying when it didn't appear.

The Candy Queen and prince made a circuit through the ball room, striding up to each small cluster of people to greet them together. The Duchess of Nuts and the Queen were chatting idly, and Gumball could not have been less interested in their conversation. He tried to do the chivalrous thing and pay attention when ladies were speaking, but every few seconds his hearing began to tune out and his eyes started to wander once more.

As the Queen nudged her son to urge him to say thank you to the Duchess, and he did so before the his mother steered him away and asked softly, "Why don't you introduce me to your guest, dear? We shouldn't keep her waiting."

"In a few minutes," Gumball said. He hoped she couldn't see the blush coloring his face.

The ball had been in full swing for an hour, and there was no sign of the Vampire King. Gumball felt his heart sink right into his stomach. Maybe Marshall Lee had forgotten. Maybe he lost his way. _Or maybe_, a nasty voice in the back of his mind said, _he never wanted to come in the first place._

And to think, Gumball had been foolish enough to think the vampire wanted to be friends.

"You don't look well," the queen commented.

"I… I just need some air. It's quite stuffy in here, don't you think?"

Without waiting for an answer, he set off for the balcony of the ball room. Once he disappeared behind the heavy steel doors, he let out a sad sigh and slumped against the bannister. He couldn't even manage to befriend the gumdrop children; what possessed him to think the coolest person in Ooo would want to be _his_ friend?

As he tried to think of what he'd tell his mother, he felt something touch the top of his hair. With a yelp, he looked up to see someone rubbing their knuckles into his head. And this someone was floating.

Gumball sprang to his feet and grinned. "Marshall Lee! You made it!"

"What's up, kiddo?" the vampire asked nonchalantly.

Gumball looked him over and saw that the vampire was wearing a T shirt with a printed tuxedo pattern and a pair of combat boots. It was far from acceptable formalwear, but at the moment, Gumball could ignore that; it was far more important that Marshall Lee was really _there!_ Maybe he wanted to be friends after all. The little candy prince was all smiles as he took the vampire's hands in his own.

"Everything is wonderful now! I can introduce you to my mother, and you can meet everyone, and we can eat cake together!"

The vampire chuckled. "Listen, I don't think that's a great idea."

Gumball wilted. "Why not?"

"I'm not really a formal party kinda guy. I just wanted to stop by to drop off your gift."

That was when the prince noticed that Marshall Lee was carrying a small package wrapped in red paper.

Gumball stared in disbelief. "A gift? You got me a gift?"

"Well… yeah. It's your birthday, right?"

The prince excitedly threw his arms around the vampire and squealed, "Thank you so much! Marshall, you're wonderful!"

"Hey, hey – cut that out, dweeb."

Gumball disentangled himself, but his face was still glowing with happiness. The vampire seemed slightly embarrassed. Before the prince could apologize, the balcony door shifted and another figure appeared.

"Sweetheart? Are you—"

The Candy Queen drew in a sharp breath at the sight before her. She grabbed her son and pulled him behind her, hissing, "A vampire in our kingdom? Run, alert the guards!"

"Mother—"

"_Go!_"

"Mother!" Gumball's face flushed furiously. "He isn't just a vampire. This is Marshall Lee, the Vampire _King_. And he's my guest tonight!"

The queen stared in disbelief between her son and the vampire floating in midair by the bannister. Marshall Lee sported a cocky grin while he swept into a quick bow.

"Queen Carmen. I don't think I've met a Candy Queen since Chicletta some five hundred years ago."

"What trickery is this?" she snapped. "My boy would never associate with scum of the Nightosphere. What have you done to him?"

Marshall laughed harshly and turned to Gumball. "See, kid, this is another reason why I should leave. Mortals don't like me."

"Yes, you should leave," the queen said icily. "And don't ever return to my kingdom."

"_Mother!_ That isn't fair!"

The queen grabbed her son by the arm and began backing slowly towards the ball room, not once taking her eyes from the Vampire King. "Clearly you've done something to my son. Leave in peace, and I won't have you killed."

Marshall Lee rolled his eyes. "I'm always the bad guy, huh? Sorry, kid. Here's your present."

The vampire held out the little red package for Gumball, but his mother jerked him backwards, as if the present was going to harm the prince. But Gumball had run out of patience, and pulled his arm from his mother's grasp. He hurried to stand between her and the Vampire King, hands planted on his hips, and chin held high.

"Marshall Lee gave me the sweetgrass and helped me find the solution to curing the Rot. Thanks to him, your life was saved and Father's passing came easier. If it wasn't for his actions, I would be alone, and hundreds of people would have died. Furthermore, he has become my friend. _I _like him, and this is _my_ birthday party, and _I _am the future king. He is my guest, and he will stay as long as he likes."

"You don't understand," the queen snapped. "This is a vampire we're dealing with. Whatever his actions may have been, his kind is not to be trusted around the living. At any moment, he could kill our guests, or even you. The bloodlust of vampires is insatiable."

"I'll try to control myself," Marshall Lee muttered.

"Nonsense. I trust him, and that should be enough for you, Mother. How can you say these things when you don't even know him?"

"_Listen to me_," the queen, her voice dripping acid. "You cannot trust a vampire. Even if, by some bizarre circumstance, this one _was_ trustworthy, your guests would never understand. There is a deep-seated hatred between mortals and night creatures. To bring such a creature here – no one would trust you, much less the vampire."

"She's got a point, Gumwad," Marshall Lee cut in. "Folks are gonna think you've lost your marbles if you walk in there with a vicious bloodsucker. If they didn't like you before, they definitely won't now."

Gumball wasn't sure what to say. This was all true, but he felt tears welling up in his eyes. Marshall Lee was his first ever friend, and he couldn't even be seen with him?

"But… but it's not _fair_," he whined.

"Life rarely is," the queen replied tersely. "Come now. I think this has been quite enough nonsense for one night."

Gumball disagreed. He turned to the vampire and asked, "Would you mind waiting for just a few minutes?"

"For what?" Marshall asked.

Without answering, Gumball stormed back into the ball room where he saw all of his blissfully ignorant guests dancing along to the peaceful melody coming from the orchestra. The queen was at his heels in an instant. "What are you doing?" she snapped.

Gumball marched up to the dais with his hands trembling as he reached for the microphone.

"Excuse me – can I please have everyone's attention?"

The music quieted and every twirling dancer came to a halt. Dozens and dozens of eyes fell upon him, and Gumball squirmed under their gaze. He chewed his lower lip, teetering on the edge, not knowing quite what to say. He could take the time to announce that he'd invited the Vampire King, who was a good person and entirely trustworthy, and ask that everyone please understand that he meant no harm. But as he tried to form the words, they got lost in his throat. His mother's gaze bored holes in his skull, like she could read his mind and stole from him the words he so wanted to say.

"I'd like to take this time to say… to encourage you all… It-it's time to cut the cake."

A ripple of cheers went through the crowd, and Gumball set the microphone back in its stand as he turned to perform the ceremonial cake cutting. It was the sign of a good host to taste the food before he served it to show that it was not poisoned. Gumball followed through with the ritual before leaving the servants to cut the rest. Cake would distract them all for a long while, especially one as enormous as this. It was a twelve tiered red velvet cake with a thick cream cheese buttercream, and the layers alternated between blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry garnishing. Gumball cut two slices and hurried out of the ball room for the balcony once more. He knew his mother was watching, but Gumball didn't dare look back.

As he surreptitiously disappeared behind the curtain once more, Gumball found himself alone with the Vampire King, who was lazily kicking his legs back and forth while perching on the bannister. A smirk turned up the corners of the undead teen's lips.

"Sorry you and Mama Gumball got into a spat," he said.

"I apologize on her behalf. If she only got to know you, I'm sure she'd like you," Gumball sighed.

"No, she wouldn't," he replied brightly. "What kind of cake is that?"

"Red velvet. Would you like a piece with strawberries or blueberries?"

The vampire took the piece with strawberries and grinned. "Perfect." He held one strawberry slice to his lips, gently sank his fangs into it, and Gumball watched in surprise as the fruit lost its color and turned to a strange gray.

"How did you do that?" Gumball asked incredulously.

Marshall shrugged. "It's a shade of red. That's what I eat."

The prince's brow furrowed. "Oh… I can't say I've ever given much thought to what vampires eat." He looked at the plate Marshall Lee held. "That was rather inconsiderate of me. My apologies."

"Whatever. Most people just think that we drink blood all the time. Some vampires do, but we all have the ability to sustain ourselves on color alone. It's just a matter of preference."

"Which do you prefer?" Gumball asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

Marshall Lee saw his nervousness and grinned. "Nothing beats the taste of blood, but that shit will make you crazy. I'd rather have a clear head, so I'm all set with color."

"Is that so?" the prince wondered. "How does it make you crazy?"

Marshall Lee popped a piece of fluffy cake into his mouth next, and Gumball watched in amazement as it too was drained of its color.

"Have you ever gotten wasted?"

"Wasted?" Gumball's brow furrowed.

"Yeah, wasted. Hammered. Sloshed. Tanked."

When Gumball showed no signs of understanding, Marshall sighed. "Drunk?"

His face flushed. "No, of course not."

Marshall shrugged. "When you get older, you'll know the feeling. Then just think about how it'd be if you felt like that all the time, and that's kind of what it's like when a vampire drinks a lot of blood."

Gumball's forehead creased. "That sounds quite unpleasant."

"That's an understatement," the Vampire King smirked.

The prince finished the last of his cake and excused himself once more to quickly open his birthday presents and exchange words of thanks with all those who contributed to the small mountain of presents on the high table. The orchestra resumed, though many guests left after the gift opening. Gumball bid them farewell, and hurried to the balcony for a third time.

He found the vampire stretched out in midair with his legs crossed, and Gumball smiled shyly. "Would you mind if I opened your gift now?"

Marshall Lee turned towards the prince and shifted uncomfortably as he held out the tiny package. "Look, I know it's not something crazy huge and expensive like the other stuff you got. It was kind of a last minute I-don't-know-what-to-get-you sort of present."

Gumball hardly heard him as he pulled away the wrapping paper and found a cassette sitting on his palm. "What's this?" he asked curiously.

"It's a mix tape," Marshall explained. "I figured… if you're gonna come back for another party, you might wanna get familiar with the music. So I just made a compilation of some of the good tracks for you."

Gumball smiled and carefully tucked it into his pocket. "Thank you. I'll treasure it."

A blush rose to the vampire's cheeks. "Don't get weird on me, bro. It's just a mix tape."

Gumball laughed and let a comfortable silence envelope them. Without the susurrus of the party guests, the music the orchestra played was clearer. Gumball realized with surprise that he hadn't danced at all that night. It was strange, because it was one of the prince's favorite pastimes, and never before had he missed a dance at a ball. He peeked inside, and most of the guests were gone or otherwise dancing to the slow melody. Thoughtfully, he turned to the vampire.

"Do you know how to waltz?" Gumball asked.

Marshall Lee crinkled his nose. "Nope."

"Foxtrot, perhaps? Quickstep?"

"This isn't exactly my kind of dancing, kiddo," the vampire informed him.

Gumball was affronted. "But every gentlemen should know ballroom dancing."

"Do I look like a gentleman to you?"

The prince eagerly said, "I can teach you."

The vampire snickered. But when the prince didn't join in the laughter, Marshall Lee raised his eyebrows. "You're serious, aren't you."

"Of course!" Gumball replied. "Come on, then. I'll teach you a basic box step to begin."

Marshall Lee rolled his eyes. "You're way nuts, dude."

"Well you're… you're nuts-er. Do you want to learn or not?"

"Not," Marshall retorted.

"Humor me, then. As a birthday wish. I want to dance and I don't have a partner."

The vampire shook his head in disbelief as he touched down across from the little prince. "You're one strange kid, Gumball."

Gumball arranged Marshall's arms properly and nudged his feet apart. "I'll lead," he said. He instructed Marshall where to step, and murmured under his breath, "_One_, two three, _one_, two three…"

However, Gumball's plan wasn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped. Marshall wasn't used to being moved in any given direction, and they ultimately bumped legs and feet several times. After a while, they slowed, and Gumball explained, "This was much easier when my father taught me."

"Yeah?" Marshall asked. "How?"

"I stood on his feet and he led the dance until I got used to the movements. Then after a few times, I stood on my own, and it felt much more natural."

"Like this?" Marshall asked. The vampire carefully stepped on Gumball's shoes, but the prince barely felt any pressure; Marshall was nearly weightless as he just started to levitate. It seemed strange to lead the dance like that with his partner being so much taller – Gumball didn't even clear his chest – but a smile touched the prince's lips.

"Yes, exactly."

The song changed, but the rhythm stayed the same. Gumball proudly spun across the balcony with his impromptu dance partner, and felt a pang of nostalgia at the fond memories of dancing he shared with his father. Gumball wasn't used to leading, but it began to feel natural, even with Marshall Lee just barely floating on the prince's feet. For those few songs, Gumball felt a sense of inner peace he'd rarely experienced in recent weeks. As he twirled and dipped and spun, the candy prince forgot his bitter memories and enveloped himself in the blissful dance with the last dance partner he'd ever expect.

Gumball was happy.

"Hey, Gumball," Marshall Lee said, bringing Gumball down from his quiet reverie.

"Yes?" the prince replied.

"I'll need you to do that favor for me soon."

Gumball remembered. _A life for a life_. "All right. What do you need me to do?"

The prince looked up just in time to see a menacing glint in the vampire's eyes and a chilling smile lift his lips. A shiver ran down Gumball's spine.

"I need you to steal the Ice Queen's crown."


	8. Imposter

A/N: Hello again, everyone! Jeez, the past few days have been stressful. It's nice to find the time to write again xD; Thanks so, so, SO much to all of you super awesome people who've taken the time to review, fave, follow, and all that jazz. You guys are the coolest dudes ever~

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

* * *

Generally speaking, Prince Gumball was a good person. He had his shortcomings, like not understanding his people's needs, and sometimes forgetting to turn off the oven after baking. But for the most part, he was far kinder than the average boy. He was a gentleman; he let ladies speak first, he never interrupted someone while they spoke, and every Sunday he baked his mother all of her favorite confections. Gumball was a prince, and every single day, he tried hard to become a king worthy of King Mentos' legacy. Because of all of that, Gumball was very unfamiliar with feelings of negativity and hate.

But today, Gumball knew what it was to hate.

And as he stood handcuffed to the ice chapel's altar, Gumball never knew he could hate anyone as much as he hated Marshall Lee the Vampire King.

* * *

In the beginning, Gumball refused. Steal a queen's crown? Preposterous. Gumball was a man of morals, who was above things like petty theft. He told Marshall so.

"If it's a crown you want, I'll gladly have one forged for you," Gumball added.

"It's not that I _want_ the crown. It's just that she can't have it."

"That's rather childish, don't you think?" Gumball asked with a raised eyebrow. "Please reconsider. Ask anything else of me, and I'll comply."

The vampire was not pleased.

"We made a deal, _prince_. When I told you I'd trade you for the sweetgrass, you said you'd give me anything.

"That was before," Gumball retorted. "And besides, I have no experience with thievery. I'm sure there are many others much more suited to the task. In fact, I'm certain you could do it yourself. Why do you need _me_ to do it?"

Back talk quickly proved to be an ill planned decision. As the prince retreated slowly from the vampire, he was reminded that Marshall Lee was a night creature who could end him in a matter of seconds. "The crown is silver. Silver is a pure substance which is deadly to demons, so I can't touch it."

"Still," Gumball insisted, "there must be another way."

Something vicious flickered in the vampire's eyes. "The Ice Queen's crown is my price. If you don't deliver I'll take back the life I helped you save."

Gumball shuddered. "What are you—"

A vicious smile curled Marshall's lips. "Queen Carmen was saved thanks to the herb I gave you, right?"

The prince took several unsteady steps back from the vampire. "You wouldn't dare," he whispered.

"I can. And I will. Unless you hold up your end of the bargain."

Gumball couldn't believe his ears. Was this truly happening? What happened to their friendship? Was life truly so worthless to the vampire? He thought of his mother, and how relieved he was that he was not going to lose both of his parents. He thought of her melancholy smile as the weight of her husband's death pressed down on her shoulders, of her increasing health, of her concern for her son. It seemed that she was right after all; trusting a night creature was folly.

And yet now, what else could Gumball do but meet his demands?

The prince wasn't well versed in shady things like stealing, and he had no idea how he was supposed to go about doing it. Marshall Lee assured him that he had a plan already, and all Gumball had to do was follow it. Though he had to admit, Gumball had no clue why Marshall Lee asked him to dress in his finest clothes the day they set out to do the deed, why the vampire refused to disclose the plan, or why he flatly refused to allow Lord Monochromicorn to come.

"I'm sure it'll be much faster with MoChro," Gumball said as he straightened his tie in the mirror. "He can bear our weight better than you can."

Marshall Lee was sprawled on his back against Gumball's rosy comforter when he let out an audible sigh.

"Queenie will see us coming a mile away if we bring him. Forget it."

"Well, he could bring us half-way, and then we could—"

"No."

Gumball huffed indignantly. Shaking his head with a frown, he flicked a pinch of dust from his sleeve and asked the vampire, "How do I look?"

"Pink," the vampire replied without bothering to look.

The prince rolled his eyes and walked over to Marshall Lee who was now dangling his head off of the side of the mattress while he observed one of the tall bookshelves on the opposite wall. Gumball tapped Marshall's foot impatiently.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your shoes off of my comforter," the prince said.

Marshall kicked his feet up in the air like he was using an invisible ottoman.

"Are all your stupid books about science?" the vampire asked.

"My books are not stupid!" Gumball frowned. "And for the record, most of them are. However, I do have a few law books, some history texts, and a handful of—"

"How far back do your history books go?"

Gumball stared. "I suppose the oldest one in my personal collection is accurate from King Winterfresh onward. However the castle library has ones as far back as the Freedents."

Marshall did not appear to be surprised. "So, nothing from before the war?"

The prince's eyebrows flew up his forehead. "The Great Mushroom War? Certainly not. Most of what we know about the war is speculation at best. Any notable book is only full of theories rather than a true history."

"That's not what I meant," Marshall Lee replied. "Do you have any books that were _written_ before the war?"

Gumball had to laugh. "Don't be silly. Even if any of them survived that catastrophe, something made of paper wouldn't last for a thousand years, not after exposure to the elements before they could be preserved." Something about the look on Marshall Lee's face made Gumball's laughter fade. "Why on earth do you ask?"

The vampire king had shown a range of emotions since they'd met. Malice, mischief, glee. But Gumball had yet to see Marshall Lee looking so melancholy.

"No reason," he said.

Gumball doubted this, but a prince was not supposed to be nosy. He bit his tongue and endured the awkward silence for as long as he could stand before clearing his throat.

"Are you ready to go?"

Rather than respond, the Vampire King scooped Gumball up under his arms and took off into the crisp twilight breeze. Gumball gulped and closed his eyes as the rollercoaster sensations started in his stomach, wishing Marshall Lee hadn't been so stubborn about bringing MoChro. The steed was a much smoother ride than the vampire who seemed to enjoy violent dips and turns for no other purpose than to further upset the prince's sensitive stomach. Gumball wanted to say something about it, but opening his mouth when his stomach felt like it was full of live worms did not seem like a good idea.

Over time, the pleasantly cool breeze became a stinging gust, and Gumball felt goose bumps popping up all over his body. He cracked his eyes open a bit to see his surroundings, and was surprised to find that all he could see was ice. Snowcapped mountains, icy slopes, frosty glens – nothing but winter as far as the eye could see. Gumball couldn't imagine living in such a desolate place. He was far too fond of warm spring afternoons studying botany in the castle gardens to ever enjoy a winter locked wasteland. Either this Ice Queen was constantly miserable, or she had a very peculiar liking for cold climates.

Eventually, one tall, icy peak stood apart from the rest. It was there that Marshall Lee brought Gumball, and he lowered the Candy Prince to his feet. His legs still felt like jelly as the prince was unused to the vampire's flight, but he managed to steady himself in a few steps.

"Are you going to tell me what the plan is now?" Gumball asked.

Marshall Lee didn't reply. The doors at the base of the ice castle imbedded in the mountain flew open to reveal a woman. Gumball stumbled back a few steps, shocked as a rush of chilled air hit him. He stared at the figure crossing the threshold.

She wore a long blue gown that complemented her eerily blue tinged skin. She looked as if she was in the last stages of hypothermia. Her snow white curls likewise accentuated her eyes; the woman's irises appeared to be pure white as well. Atop her head perched a golden crown.

That was when Gumball realized something was off.

_Marshall Lee said the queen's crown was silver, and because of that, he couldn't touch it. But the crown is clearly golden. Is this the wrong crown?_ As he tried to think of why this inconsistency had appeared, another thought struck him. He and the vampire were merely standing there, only a few yards from the queen. Yet she did not speak nor react… in fact, she didn't even seem surprised to see a vampire and the Candy Prince standing before her.

Something was wrong.

"Marshall," Gumball started.

That was when the vampire lifted the prince by the back of his shirt and presented him to the Ice Queen.

"What are you—" Gumball squealed.

Marshall Lee called over the wind, "I held up my end of the bargain. Now hand it over."

The Ice Queen's heeled shoes clacked over the ice as she closed the distance between them. A smile lifted her lips, and Gumball shuddered to see that her mouth was full of pointed teeth.

"This one is too young, don't you think? I need a man in my life, not a boy," she giggled. Her voice sounded like nails scraping against a chalk board.

Marshall snapped, "You didn't specify age. I can go find Lumpy Space Prince if you'd rather."

The queen's little nose wrinkled at the suggestion. "Don't joke about such a thing. Let me take a look at him…"

Gumball felt himself shaking from more than the cold as the Ice Queen _click clack_ed closer, walking in a tight circle around the prince and Marshall as she tried to take in Gumball from all angles.

"He is a little darling, isn't he?" she crooned, pinching his cheek.

The skin beneath her fingers stung as if it'd been frozen. Gumball winced. He wanted to say something, anything, but this drastic turn of events was turning his brain to mush. _What's going on?_ He wanted to ask. But he was afraid to know the answer.

After he realized the queen was trying to touch Gumball, Marshall Lee jerked him out of reach.

"Give me the crown first. Then you can do whatever you want with him."

The Ice Queen's expression soured. "I want to test the merchandise before I commit. Can you blame me?"

Marshall Lee growled. "Give me goddamn crown!"

She cackled, "You don't trust me at all, do you?"

"Not anymore," Marshall muttered.

"Fine," she said, her words as icy as the snow swirling around them. "I'll take him. And for your sake, he'd better be good."

Gumball wondered wildly whether or not this was all part of Marshall's secret plan. Yes, that must have been it. Marshall was keeping this all a secret so that Gumball wouldn't have a chance to fake his emotions and risk alerting the Ice Queen to their trickery. Any moment now, the vampire would give some sort of a signal, and they'd make off with the strange queen's crown, and maybe in a few years they'd look back on this day and laugh.

The vampire tossed the Candy Prince forward, and Gumball landed on the packed ice with a yelp of pain. The Ice Queen squealed and fell to her knees where she cradled him in her arms.

"Oh, don't be so rough! My little prince is delicate! Aren't you, muffin?" she cooed. Up close, her eyes were even creepier; the iris was white and rimmed with pale blue to separate it from the sclera.

Marshall Lee cleared his throat, and the Ice Queen looked up with a pout. Her free hand reached up to take off her crown and she threw it to Marshall Lee. "Take it and go."

The vampire effortlessly caught it. Gumball watched, but the vampire did not seem to be in any pain. But... but he _said_ he couldn't touch the crown... He only looked mildly annoyed. Just like that, he rose into the air and left without so much as a backward glance.

Gumball couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Marshall Lee!" he called. His voice sounded thin and desperate in the biting wind. The vampire slowed. "What's going on?"

"You're a smart kid," Marshall replied. "You already know."

That was when Gumball realized there were hot tears leaking down his cheeks. He knew in his heart, but no – it couldn't be true. This was some sort of a farce. Any moment, Marshall was going to look back and wink or grin or alert him in some way that this was all part of the plan. But the vampire never looked back. He never so much as spared the prince a pitying glance for what he was doing.

Gumball felt anger like no other rising in his chest, and it rose and rose until it boiled over. The tears came in sheets and his chest heaved like he'd run a mile.

"You _lied_ to me!" Gumball screamed. "You lied about – about _everything!_"

Marshall neither confirmed nor denied the accusation. It only made Gumball angrier. He struggled against the Ice Queen, but she was much stronger than she looked. It was like trying to squirm out of a bear trap.

"What about the dancing? And the mix tape? And – and you invited me to your parties! We were _friends!_ Why would you – how could you—"

"Go away," the Ice Queen snarled. "You're upsetting my baby."

Marshall didn't need to be told twice. Soon he disappeared between the swirling cloak of snow and pitch black of night, and Gumball felt his frozen tears stinging his cheeks.

* * *

Today, Gumball knew what it was to hate.

And as he stood handcuffed to the ice chapel's altar, Gumball never knew he could hate anyone as much as he hated Marshall Lee the Vampire King.

A snow golem conducted the marriage ceremony. He stood at the altar and said some garbled words while the Ice Queen fluttered her eyelashes at her soon-to-be husband. The marriage had been planned for as long as the queen and Marshall Lee had their agreement, and so the rites occurred the morning following the exchange.

The golem gestured at the Ice Queen and mumbled something. She giggled like a school girl and replied, "I do!"

Afterwards, the golem pointed at Gumball and repeated the same unintelligible phrase. The prince may have been treated like chattel, but he was not about to make things easy for the Ice Queen – as evidenced by the need for handcuffs.

"I don't want to marry the Ice Queen."

The Ice Queen tittered. "Don't be nervous, my love. I know you're intimidated by my beauty and experience, but this is a wondrous occasion! Don't spoil it by being shy."

"My apologies, Ice Queen, but I never asked for this. I understand you and Marshall Lee had an arrangement, but I cannot allow others to negotiate my actions without my consent."

She sighed dreamily and looked out at the audience of snow golems and penguins. "Listen to my little man, talking like a big boy! It's okay, sweetness, I know in your heart you mean 'yes, I would be honored to take the sexiest queen in all of Ooo to be my wife!'"

"No, I'm sorry," Gumball said, raising his voice. "But—"

The snow golem spread his arms wide and boomed something in his nonsensical tongue, to which the Ice Queen let out a whoop of delight. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the prince's lips, and Gumball recoiled in disgust.

"And now we're married! Yay!"

There were booming whoops as the snow golems cheered and the penguins clapped their flippers and squawked appreciatively. Gumball tried to shout over the noise, but his small voice melted into the commotion. The Ice Queen removed the cuff attached to the altar and deftly attached it to Gumball's free wrist behind his back. She lifted him in her arms bridal style and smiled like she hadn't a care in the world as she whisked him away into her tower. Gumball tried to speak, but she would always interrupt with pointless chatter. Up and up they went until she kicked open the door to her bedroom.

Gumball was only twelve. He knew married couples went to their bedroom to do things after they were just married, but he had no idea what. Regardless of what it was, he was not a willing partner in this relationship. It had been dumped on him out of the blue. Surely that must count for something. He couldn't be forced to do – well, whatever married couples do – with the Ice Queen.

However, what she did next was something Gumball assumed was not a typical marriage ritual. She unceremoniously dumped him into a cage made entirely of ice at the foot of her bed, closed it up, and locked the door. Gumball stared, bewildered.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

She giggled foolishly and ruffled his hair with one pale blue hand. "Oh, my little Gumball. I know you can't resist my good looks, but you're just a smidgen too young still. But that's all right. You're my husband now, and you'll love me for the rest of your life."

"I don't love you," Gumball snapped. He was supposed to be chivalrous and kind to women. He was supposed to be princely. But now, he no longer cared. "I could _never_ love you. You're mad. You forced someone half your age to _marry_ you and you expect me to show you affection? I never will. Never."

The Ice Queen's hand tightened in his hair, wrenching his head upwards and slamming his face into the ice bars. A wicked smile revealed every last one of her pointed teeth, and Gumball found himself shaking once more.

"You may not now, but don't worry. You'll realize your true feelings soon enough. After all, we have an _eternity_ together, my sweet prince."


	9. Impiety

A/N: So, uh. Yeah. Figured I'd better crank this one out before I started getting death threats or something from the last chapter xD Thanks for all the reviews, guys! (omg, seriously at 50 now? Jeezus, you guys are AWESOME ;;A;; )

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

**NOTE!** Just to avoid confusion! This takes place right after Marshall Lee's house party (from chapter 6, Imitate) and brings you up to speed from there. You'll see why ;D

* * *

As the party wound down and the little candy prince took his leave, Marshall Lee found himself saying his farewells to the handful of dancers left. After a round of fist bumps, the vampire stretched his sore limbs, turned off his stereo, and headed inside as he contemplated what he'd munch on before bed. Once inside, he found Ashlyn leaning against the fridge munching on an apple.

He ruffled her hair affectionately as he gave her a playful nudge out of the way so he could access the fridge himself.

"You looked like you had fun tonight," she commented. Her pitch was just a little too high, her tone a bit too kind.

"Yup," Marshall replied. "I'm beat."

"From spending so much time with that little kid? I thought you were a party animal."

Marshall chuckled as he pulled out a bowl of cherries and trotted over to the table to sit. "Oh, Gumball? Yeah. Kid's got some energy."

Ashlyn let out a derisive snort. "You know, I was under the impression you threw _good _parties. Ones that children couldn't get into."

Marshall shrugged as he drained the color from the first blood red fruit. "I made an exception."

"Why?"

He tossed away the little gray husk. "Why do you care so much?"

Ashlyn stormed over to the table and planted her hands on the surface as she leaned over to glare at her undead boyfriend.

"You said he was your bargaining chip. Why are you getting so friendly with him?"

At that, Marshall averted his eyes. Guilt pooled in his stomach at the thought. Yes, it was true. When Gumball had first stumbled into the woods, Marshall intended to turn him over to the Ice Queen. He could finally attempt to save whatever part of Simone Petrikov remained within the Ice Queen if he granted the witch her heart's desire. The Ice Queen informed Marshall after his last failed attempt at stealing the crown that she would only willingly give it to him in exchange for a prince whom she could marry. What was some little candy prince to him? No one would ever know Marshall had done it. And the prince consented to the deal himself. _Anything_, Gumball had promised him. Of course, marrying the wicked witch was probably not what Gumball imagined to be his debt. But what did Marshall Lee care? The prince was nothing to him, and Simone meant so much.

But things had changed.

The prince came back. He stuck around and did awkward things and stood his ground even though he thought Marshall to be a monster. For someone made of sugar, Prince Gumball was surprisingly tough when it came right down to it. Against his better judgment, Marshall came to see the prince as more than a pawn or a 'bargaining chip.' Gumball vested a bit of trust in the vampire, and Marshall couldn't say that such a thing happened very often. Actually, it hadn't happened ever. To the rest of the world, he was some rogue, vicious night creature who killed mercilessly. To Ashlyn, he knew, he was just another fling. She was a powerful witch in her own right; why would she need to trust a trickster vampire? To know that someone so young, so fragile, invested some part of himself in the Vampire King made him feel… well… different.

"I think he's kinda trying to look up to me, you know?" Marshall laughed.

Ashlyn's lips curled into an unpleasant frown. "So you're giving up on something you've wanted for the past thousand years – because some stupid mortal likes you."

"I'm not giving up," Marshall shot back, "I'm just… I don't really want to… I don't think the kid deserves the emotional trauma."

"You're never gonna have a better chance, Marley! Just drop the kid and get it over with!"

Marshall Lee quirked an eyebrow at his girlfriend and asked, "What's your problem? Are you jealous because I spent a couple of hours with someone other than you?"

Her gray tinged face turned scarlet. "_No!_ Why would _I_ be jealous of that little runt? What is there to envy, huh?"

Marshall's lips lifted in a sly grin. "Ah, the lady doth protest too much."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't even know what the hell that means."

Marshall opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off. "Forget it, I don't care! Just – Ugh! I can't believe you. I can't _fucking_ believe you. Can you at least tell me why you want the stupid crown so much?"

The vampire's heart gave a painful twang. Yes, it still beat on feebly in his chest. Demons still had beating hearts, as they – though they had extremely long lifespans – were not immortal. Being part demon himself, Marshall knew that his demonic half kept certain functions working like his beating heart that the vampirization hadn't been able to stop. (At least, he assumed this was the reason. He didn't know any other hybrids to compare himself to.) Sometimes Marshall forgot the ancient organ was there. But now it painfully reminded him of its existence, and of just how much Simone meant to him. A thousand years had passed, and not a day went by that he forgot the debt he owed her. Not a night passed when he didn't wonder what would have happened if he'd intervened earlier. If he'd stolen the crown when she was still human, if he'd destroyed it before it could destroy _her_. Marshall Lee didn't like thinking about it. About his failure. About her suffering. It was easier to bottle it up and pretend it didn't exist sometimes.

And he'd never confided in Ashlyn about any of it.

"It's not important," Marshall lied.

She stared at him for a long moment while he averted his eyes to the cherry bowl and picked around through the small fruits. When she realized he had no intention of saying any more, she turned away with a scowl.

"Right. Of course it's not. I've only known you for two centuries. Why should you bother talking to me about anything?"

As angry as the comment made him, Marshall couldn't help but to feel ashamed. He was only another fling in her eyes, he tried to tell himself. But would she want to be more if he was open and honest with her? Would she rather commit to him than continue their hot-and-cold relationship if she knew he trusted her? But Marshall didn't trust her. He cared for her, but he didn't love her. Maybe Ashlyn was just a fling for him, too. Maybe he could never come to love her. But maybe she was right. If nothing else, after two hundred years, he knew her well enough that he should have been able to disclose bits of his past to her.

Maybe he should have. But not tonight.

He followed her into the bedroom where she was starting to pack her things. She turned to storm from the doorway, but Marshall intercepted her. She tried to push past him, but Marshall stopped her by pressing a kiss to her lips.

"It's late," he reminded her.

"Get out of the way."

"Just stay the night."

"I'm leaving, Marshall!" she snapped.

Marshall watched as she shoved him aside and made for the front door. He was still angry, but it looked like there were tears forming in her eyes. That he made her cry would only worsen his guilt, so Marshall found himself blurting, "It's too powerful."

She hesitated with one hand on the doorknob. She glanced back at him with a question on her lips. Before he lost momentum, Marshall Lee continued, "The crown. It's too powerful for the Ice Queen to control. Someday, it could destroy her more than it already has. To keep that from happening, I _have_ to take it from her."

Ashlyn dropped her belongings on the floor and turned to face him fully.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quavering.

"I just told you," he said, confused. "It's—"

"Why do you care?" Ashlyn repeated. This time one of the tears spilled over. "Do you love her? Are you fucking her too? Is she the one you tell all of your secrets to? What is she to you, Marshall Lee?"

Marshall Lee didn't know what to do. How could he tell her something so personal, so private? How could he ever try to make Ashlyn, who had never loved anyone but herself, understand how he loved Simone? She was a mother, a protector, a friend. A fellow survivor. She was the reason Marshall Lee was still alive, rather than a pile of bones alongside his father. Ashlyn could never understand how he felt about Simone just as she could never see how Marshall Lee had forged some small friendship with a mortal.

He couldn't explain it to her. There were no words to make her see. And so he said nothing.

"Fuck you," she hissed.

Before he could even think to say another word, she was gone. Marshall Lee floated back into his room and threw himself face first into the bed. A great night had just fallen to pieces, and it had only taken minutes. The emotions roiling within his gut made him feel physically ill, and rather than contemplate them, he grumbled and pulled a pillow over his face as he tried to outrun his feelings in his dreams.

* * *

She waited and watched. Marshall Lee spent the next night at home, but the next – just as he'd promised the puny mortal prince – he left as the sun's rays disappeared and set off for the Candy Kingdom. Ashlyn was infuriated. He'd rather spend time with that stupid little prince than make up with her. It seemed like everything in his life came before Ashlyn. First the Ice Queen, then his music, and now this sugary pink _child_. It was insulting. And after twenty decades, Ashlyn had had enough of being second best.

She waited and waited long into the night. It was several hours before Marshall Lee came home. When he did, she was ready.

He walked into the kitchen seeming unsurprised to see her.

"Ash, what are you doing here?" he asked.

She stirred the pot of sauce heating on the stove and gave a little shrug. "Making you an apology dinner."

He chuckled and floated over to kiss her on the forehead. "Thanks, babe. You didn't have to."

"I know. You're lucky you have me," she said sweetly.

"About the whole crown thing… I thought about what you said. I'm not going to give up on getting it, but I'm not going to do it the way I originally planned. I think it'd be good for Gumball to learn to break the rules a little, you know? I wanna give it another shot, just swiping it from her, and he can give me a hand. It'll be like bro bonding time. And hell, maybe he knows how I can destroy it. He's pretty sharp for a—"

Ashlyn held up the spoon she was using to stir and offered him the sauce covered end. "Wanna taste?"

Marshall did so, and nodded appreciatively. "Pretty good. What's in it?"

"Just a few spices. Nothing special," she said.

She watched him from the corner of her eye and noticed that his head had begun to droop. He gave himself a violent shake and slurred, "Ash'n… what'd you put'n… th…"

Ashlyn smiled. "Have a good nap, babe."

As the sleeping powder took effect, Marshall slumped down to the floor. She grinned and flipped him on his back so that she could see his face clearly, and fished around in her pocket to extract a small compact mirror. She held the mirror between his face and hers, and chanted softly, "_Mirror, mirror, I ask of you for the visage I see to be replaced. For one day in full it must be the image of another's face._"

The silvered back of the mirror disappeared to reveal clear glass that allowed a perfect image of Marshall Lee to be seen through it. The small mirror began to glow with a bright light, and when Ashlyn next opened her eyes, the glass's silver backing had returned and she could now see her own face.

Only it wasn't her own anymore.

Ashlyn smirked, but her reflection showed Marshall Lee's face.

* * *

She came to him early in the evening. Ashlyn wasn't a vampire as her image suggested, so she wasn't subjected to the weakness of sunlight and could move about freely during the day. Regardless, it was better to play it safe. Gumball had probably caught on by now that vampires burned in the sun, so if he saw "Marshall" moving about unharmed during daylight hours, it would arouse his suspicion. So she came to him later and endured the stupid little mortal's endless questions and answered impatiently. Gumball seemed oblivious to her real identity. She attempted to ask about historical books for the purpose of finding out more about the Ice Queen's crown, but Gumball claimed he had none. Ashlyn sighed. Once, she remembered that Marshall mentioned that little was known about the crown because it existed for centuries even before the Great Mushroom War. Ashlyn was only four hundred and fifty two (though she kept herself young and healthy with the help of spells and potions) and had never heard of the crown before. If she could just learn something about it, about why it was so powerful, and why Marshall Lee _really_ wanted it…

Well, no matter.

She scooped up the little prince and dumped him off at the Ice Queen's lair. As the Queen tossed her the crown, Ashlyn felt a sense of pride well up within her. And how the little mortal cried! She couldn't look at him, partly because of her malicious grin, and partly because the spell's effect was fading. If he'd seen Marshall's face morphing into Ashlyn's, he might pick up on what had happened and the sense of betrayal wouldn't hit the prince so hard. No mortal was going to steal Marshall from her. She wouldn't allow it. Marshall Lee may have been a prankster, but Ashlyn had a darker sense of humor. As she left the Ice Queen's kingdom, she hugged the golden crown tightly to her chest and felt a surge of excitement. She'd done what Marshall Lee could not – or would not – do.

When she arrived back at his house, the spell had completely worn off, but the vampire was still unconscious on the kitchen floor. Ashlyn sprinkled a pinch of awakening powder over him, and Marshall rolled onto his side with a groan.

"What time is it?" he grumbled.

"Time to wake up, sleepy head," she chirped.

Marshall looked around, his eyes still heavy with sleep. "Why am I on the kitchen floor? Did I get drunk, or..?"

"You must have," she giggled. "While you were asleep, I got you a present."

Marshall looked up slowly until his gaze settled on the crown the witch held. At first it was just a golden blur to him, but when his jaw fell open, Ashlyn grinned.

"But… how did you…?"

"I got it from Queenie. She sends her love," she said.

Marshall gaped at her and what she was wearing, his eyes narrowing the longer he looked. "Why are you wearing my clothes?"

Ashlyn frowned. "You could say 'thank you,' you know."

Marshall Lee wasn't in the mood to thank anyone. He shot straight up as all traces of tiredness left him. He looked at the clothes she wore once more, and then to the crown. Something sparkled on his sleeve… He glanced down and saw a coarse glittering powder still clinging to his clothes. He picked up a grain of it and muttered, "Awakening powder. You put me to sleep."

"Only for a little while," she insisted.

"Why?"

"To finish what you started," she said simply and placed the Ice Queen's crown on his head.

Marshall Lee jerked so violently that the crown tumbled from his head and crashed to the floor. Every memory he had of the Ice Queen's radical personality change upon wearing the crown flew to the forefront of his mind. All it had taken was one time for the crown's power to take a permanent hold on her mind – and to think, Ashlyn had almost subjected him to the same fate.

As he gasped and she cried out, Marshall noticed that when the crown hit the floor, it _shattered_.

That was not supposed to happen. The Ice Queen's crown was indestructible. Marshall ought to know; he'd thrown it into a volcano only to have it turn the volcano into a snow filled chasm. He'd shoved a boulder on top of it, buried it deep in the earth, thrown it into the sea. But no matter how he attacked it, no matter how far away he hid it, the crown always called to the queen. The crown could not be destroyed. If nothing he'd done in the past had worked to hide or break the crown, simply dropping it on the linoleum floor certainly shouldn't have been the deadly artifact's undoing.

Ashlyn stared in horror and murmured, "But – how? I thought…"

"It's a fake," Marshall growled. "Ashlyn, _what did you do?_"

But the witch hardly seemed to hear him. She reached up and tore at her hair, letting out a hair-raising shriek.

"That BITCH!" she screamed. "How DARE she make a fool out of me!"

"What did you do, Ash?" Marshall snarled, grabbing her by the arms.

She was seething anger that may have started to rival Marshall's, but in her rage, she couldn't see the mistake she'd made in his eyes.

"I gave her the stupid kid in exchange for the crown, just like you'd promised. Only _I _followed through. I did it for you, Marley. You wanted her crown and you didn't have the balls to get rid of the one little speed bump in the way. It made me _sick_, so I took matters into my own hands. I pretended to be you, so neither of them suspected a thing. And she gave me the crown right off of her head – argh! She planned this from the start!"

"You gave Gumball to _the Ice Queen?_ In exchange for a fucking _fake crown?_"

Ashlyn stared at her boyfriend, her mouth working wordlessly. Marshall couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such an intense hatred.

"At least I tried," she snapped.

"I told you I wasn't going to do it," Marshall growled. "I was _very_ clear that I had no intention of using Gumball to barter with the Ice Queen anymore, and I told you why. And you knocked me unconscious, pretend to be me, and then went behind my back to do exactly the opposite of what I wanted – for a forgery."

"Someone had to do it, Marshall! You've been griping about that stupid crown your whole life, and the minute I try to give it to you, you act like I'm the worst person in the world! It's not my fault that heinous bitch gave me a fake!"

"I'm not pissed off because it's a fake, Ash – god fucking dammit, why do I even bother with you?"

She would never understand. Marshall took off into the night and heard Ashlyn screaming from far below, "_That's it, Marshall Lee! I'm sick of this bullshit! We're THROUGH!_"

It was a temporary relief. Finally, he was free of her. Free from fighting every other day. Free from her insatiable lust. Free from fake smiles and forced conversations. He had some good times with Ashlyn, but they weren't enough to outweigh the bad. Especially not after this.

Sunlight was beginning to peek out from the horizon, and the familiar stinging sensation prickled on Marshall's skin. He'd have to take shelter for the day because he'd been too hasty to take an umbrella. But the moment the sun set, he would be off again. He had to reach the Ice Kingdom.

He _had_ to get to Gumball.


	10. Impact

A/N: I was going to wait until my day off tomorrow to post this but I found out someone's birthday is/was today, so I figured "what the heck? I'll post it early!" This might be a few hours late depending on your time zone, but happy birthday, Fabula et Dolum! :D Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

* * *

Who ever knew that ice could be so cold?

After sitting in the ice cell for the past day, Gumball would never again take the sun's warmth for granted. He had lost feeling in his fingers and toes long ago, and not even the blanket the Ice Queen had thrown in for him had done anything to ward off the cold. His skin had turned a disturbing pale color which led him to wonder vaguely if he was developing hypothermia.

_Someone will come for me_, he told himself. He couldn't afford to cry. He was the Prince of the Candy Kingdom. He couldn't lose hope that someone would come to his rescue. _Any moment now. Mother will realize that I'm gone. So will MoChro. They'll find me, somehow._

But _how_? No one knew he was here. Gumball tried to ignore the finer details of the scenario, but they kept butting into his thoughts. The only way they could find out where he was would be if they interrogated Marshall Lee. Maybe his mother would suspect the vampire, and maybe MoChro could lead the guards into the woods to find the dreaded night creature. And maybe if Marshall Lee hadn't moved and he was feeling particularly guilty or merciful, he'd disclose the location of the kingdom's prince. And then, after all of that, _maybe_the guards and knights of the kingdom would make it to the Ice Queen's castle alive.

Nothing was left after that but to storm the Ice Queen's castle, defeat her, and reclaim the prince. Gumball tried hard not to think about how difficult that would be, or how long it would take. The idea of spending even one more night in the ice cell almost drove him to tears.

"Gumball! My little prince, I've brought you dinner!"

Gumball ignored her as usual. She slipped a bowl of cold soup through the bars of the cage along with a pitcher of water. At first, he debated about whether or not he should eat anything she gave him. Pride told him not to touch a thing she offered. Reason dictated that he would be doing his countrymen a disservice if he let himself starve to death in this godforsaken tundra. Gumball had to side with the latter. He reached for the soup and drank straight from the bowl. She never bothered to provide a spoon, and the soup was so thin that he could barely find anything solid in the broth anyway. It was barbaric, and his mother would scold him for his poor etiquette, but it didn't matter when his stomach was growling so painfully loud.

The Ice Queen pulled up a chair and sat so close to the cell that her knees were crammed against the icy bars. Her smile was terrifying as it revealed every last one of her strange pointed teeth.

"So," she began, looking down at him eagerly. "How is it?"

Gumball said nothing.

"I made it myself especially for you. Can you taste the love I put into it?"

The prince sincerely hoped women were not all like this.

"I hope so. I don't cook very often. Usually I just microwave leftovers."

Gumball put the bowl aside and tried to avoid eye contact with the Ice Queen. Instead, he wrapped himself a little more tightly in his blanket and exhaled on his hands to try to warm them.

The Queen sighed. "I don't even remember the last time I had a real dinner. It was probably Gertrude's birthday… But that's okay. Now that you're here, I'll try to make dinner every night. It won't feel as lonely if I'm cooking for two."

As much as Gumball hated the situation he was in, when the Ice Queen let that kind of thing slip, he couldn't help but feel his heart twist guiltily. She was insane and selfish and even a little scary. But deep down, the Ice Queen was just lonely. She craved companionship just like every other creature, and for that, Gumball couldn't find it in his heart to truly hate her.

But that didn't mean he had to _like_her.

"Look at me," she said softly.

Again, he pretended he hadn't heard her. Her hand snaked between the ice bars and her deathly cold fingers brushed his face. By now, he was so used to the cold that it barely bothered him. She tilted up his chin and looked down at him, her smile seeming almost kind. Maybe there was even love in her eyes when she looked at him. But Gumball had never been in love, so he wouldn't know.

The sound of glass shattering distracted them both. The Ice Queen got to her feet and grumbled, "Gertrude found the bottles again… I'll be right back, baby," she promised before sweeping from the room.

Gumball sighed and reached for his pitcher of water, only to find that it was frozen. He shoved it away and tried to curl up on his side, hoping that he could pretend to be asleep when the Ice Queen returned. However, he heard the door creak open and someone plodding across the slippery floor. It definitely wasn't the Ice Queen's distinct _click clack_ing heels. He cracked open an eyelid and saw -

A penguin.

As far as Gumball could tell, all of the Ice Queen's penguins were named Gertrude. He wondered if this was the one breaking bottles downstairs. But then something else caught his attention. Glittering on the bedside table were the keys to the cell.

Gripped by a sudden idea, Gumball sat fully up and focused on the penguin.

"Um… hello," Gumball said uncertainly. "Can you help me?"

"_Wenk_," the penguin squawked.

"Can you understand me?" the prince inquired.

"_Wenk_."

"I see. Very well, um. Perhaps you could get those keys for me?"

"_Wenk_."

Never had he felt so foolish. He was trying to talk to a _penguin_. All Gertrude did was look at him with her bulbous eyes and tilt her head to the side.

"Never mind," Gumball groaned. "You probably wouldn't help me even if you _could_understand me."

The penguin waddled about the room, poking its beak into drawers and cabinets, as if looking for something. Gumball's brow furrowed. It was probably trying to find more bottles to smash. With a sigh, he lay back down on the floor and closed his eyes, resigning himself to another miserable, sleepless night.

"_Wenk wenk._"

"What is it?" Gumball muttered.

He opened his eyes to see the penguin standing just out of reach of the cell with the key ring dangling from its beak. The prince couldn't believe his eyes. He fumbled his way over to the edge of the cage and stuck his hand out through the bars to grab the keys, but Gertrude waddled just inches away from his hand.

"Please, give me those," Gumball begged.

"_Wenk wenk!_" the penguin squawked.

Then Gumball realized its flipper was pointing at something in the cell. Gumball turned his head to follow the flipper's path and saw that the penguin was pointing to the glass pitcher the Ice Queen had brought. It took a moment for it to click, but Gumball then picked up the pitcher and offered it to Gertrude.

"You want this?"

The penguin jumped up and down, causing the keys to rattle. Gumball held it out with a trembling hand and urged, "Please, give me the keys, and you can have it."

The keys clattered to the floor and Gertrude took the bottle from the prince and smashed it on the ground. The squat little bird blinked at the wreckage, then plodded out of the room. Gumball stretched his hand out and grabbed the keys which were almost too far away, and dragged them across the splinters of glass and chips of ice.

His fingers were clumsy from the cold, but he staggered to his feet and reached around the outside of the bars to jam the key in the lock. The first one didn't fit – he tried the second, turned, and heard a soft click. He shoved against the bars and the door swung open. Gumball tripped into the broken glass, but the rush of adrenaline kept him going.

The prince had never felt such a rush. He ran for the door, skidded down the stairs, taking turns any which way. He didn't know where he was going, but anywhere was better than the ice cell. He wasn't used to running, and after spending a day primarily in the fetal position, Gumball's limbs were sore and aching. His breathing was labored and he broke out into a sweat – which could be deadly in these temperatures. But he couldn't stop. He had to escape somehow. It was his duty as the only prince of the Candy Kingdom to make it out of this dreadful place alive.

But just as one foot hit the floor, it grew cold and stopped dead where it was. Gumball's body lurched forward, but ice had encased his legs all the way up to his thighs and prevented him from falling over. He felt ill as he realized what this must have meant. _So much for running to victory_.

"My love, you're so silly," the Ice Queen giggled. Her voice echoed from down the hallway, and Gumball wanted to cry.

"I know you were only playing a little game. You're not foolish enough to believe that you can escape." She appeared at his side, and he refused to look at her. But he knew she was there, smiling, watching. One of her hands trailed over his shoulder, up his neck, over his cheek.

"Even if you got out of the castle, you would die before you made it home. It's a long way out of my Ice Kingdom, and even further to the Candy Kingdom. My sweet, fragile prince would never survive the harsh terrain out there."

She cupped his cheeks in her hands and pressed a frozen kiss to his lips. "The safest place in the whole world for you is right here with me."

_Someone will come for me_, Gumball reminded himself. _Someone will save me_. _Mother, MoChro, anyone – please. Please._

The ice trapping his legs began to recede, and the Queen lifted him up in her arms as if he weighed nothing. She hummed a tune to herself as she walked up the stairs to the tower once again, and Gumball felt his gut fill with dread. He wanted to struggle and get away. But even if he could overpower her, she was right. He couldn't survive out there. He didn't even know which direction to go. Without even a coat for warmth, Gumball would likely freeze to death before the night was out. The thought brought tears to his eyes.

_No one is coming for me_, he realized. _I'll be stuck here forever._

The Ice Queen nudged open her bedroom door. Gumball wondered if she would listen if he asked for more blankets, or hot tea. But he never got to ask. Just as they crossed the threshold, she let out a gasp and dropped Gumball to the floor.

For a moment, as he rubbed his aching backside, he wondered if she was so shocked because of the mess of shattered glass Gertrude left. But when he squinted through his haze of tears to look up, his jaw fell open.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Marshall Lee," Gumball muttered.

"Marshall," the Ice Queen said, "What are you doing here?"

The vampire was lanky and disheveled as ever. Gumball wanted to scream as fury filled him up. What did that bastard think he was doing here? How _dare_ he show his face to Gumball after all he'd done? It was Marshall Lee's fault he was stuck in this horrible situation, alone and desperate enough to talk to bloody _penguins._If he hadn't been so sore and numb, Gumball would have screamed.

"Dropping in for tea, what's it look like?" Marshall muttered, rolling his eyes. "Give me Gumball."

No, that couldn't have been what he said. Gumball must have misheard, because there was no conceivable way Marshall Lee was here for him.

The Ice Queen frowned. "You mean my husband? No, I don't think so."

Marshall snapped, "Don't make me fight you over this. Hand him over, and we can both pretend none of this ever happened."

"Oh, why would I want to do that?" the Queen laughed. "The time I've spent with the prince has been the greatest time of my life!"

The vampire frowned. "I doubt he can say the same."

She tossed her hair and planted her hands on her hips. "Don't be ridiculous. He's been having a lovely time. Haven't you, Gumball?"

They both looked at him, but Gumball had eyes only for Marshall.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"To take you home," Marshall said, quirking an eyebrow. "Duh."

Gumball's numb fingers curled into fists. "Don't lie. Why are you _really_here?"

"What makes you think I'm lying?" the vampire asked.

The prince was furious. He pulled himself to his feet with a grunt and glared at the undead teen. "Because you've never told me anything but lies. You said we were friends, and then you sold me for a crown. That isn't friendship, Marshall Lee. You betrayed me."

The vampire opened his mouth, but didn't seem to know how to begin. He looked away, and that was all the answer Gumball needed. Given the choice between a backstabber and his captor, he would take the latter. At least the Ice Queen hadn't lied to him about her intentions.

"Only in the beginning. When we met, yeah. It was the perfect opportunity. But I changed my mind. I never wanted this."

"Then why did you bring me here?" Gumball demanded.

"He didn't," the Ice Queen said.

At that, both of the boys looked at her in surprise. The Ice Queen put an arm around Gumball's shoulder and held him close.

"They had your face, but it wasn't you. We've had enough run-ins over the years, Marshall, so I should be able to tell the difference between you and an imposter."

Gumball couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked up at her and then to Marshall, his brow furrowed. Before he could ask, the Queen continued. "But it doesn't matter. Whether it was you or not, we had an agreement and the trade was made! You got the crown, and I got the prince. So no trade backs!"

Marshall growled in frustration. "Are you nuts? I didn't want to go through with it anymore. That's why Ashlyn did it instead! And besides, even if I'd wanted to keep the agreement, you gave Ashlyn a fake crown!"

The Ice Queen blushed. "I most certainly did not."

Marshall reached into his pocket and tossed something at the Ice Queen. It hit the floor and by the time Gumball saw it, all that was left of the object was a pile of shattered red glass.

"The real crown is unbreakable. And yet the one you gave Ashlyn broke into about a thousand pieces."

"Yes, well," the Ice Queen muttered, flustered, "Perhaps I… I gave you the wrong one. Hehe. My mistake!"

Marshall grunted. "Mistake, my ass. Our agreement is over. I'm taking the kid."

"What? No!" She held Gumball closer, pressing him into the folds of her gown. "You can't! We're married now. He's mine!"

"He never consented. He was your hostage. Your marriage is void."

Marshall's hands pried away the Ice Queen's arms and he grabbed Gumball from her vice grip. The Ice Queen let out a wail and she shot a bolt of ice at the vampire, which he dodged.

"No! My prince! Give back my Gumball!"

Without another word, Marshall Lee swooped through the window he'd broken into with Gumball held tightly in his arms, narrowly dodged another barrage of ice bolts, and disappeared into the swirling snow before the Ice Queen could catch up.

Gumball wanted to ask Marshall Lee to please make the flight home a little more smooth and a little less like a roller coaster ride, but he was too physically and emotionally drained. As Marshall cradled the little candy prince in his arms, Gumball fell asleep.

* * *

It was midafternoon when he awoke. Sunlight shone merrily through a crack in his curtains, bathing his face in warmth and light. Gumball's eyes fluttered open, at first reluctant to be exposed to the bright light – until he realized how warm he was. Warmth. Oh, goodness, he'd never complain about the heat ever again. He buried himself in his blankets until it felt so hot that it seemed an oven had been created in his barrier of comforters. He touched his face with his hands and was pleased to realize that there were no traces of ice in them. As he looked around his room, Gumball wondered if the Ice Queen's ice cell hadn't just been a dream.

"Morning, kiddo."

Gumball jolted in surprise and stared in surprise at the one who'd called him. Sitting backwards in a chair facing his bed was none other than Marshall Lee.

"Marshall," Gumball murmured. "What happened..?"

"You passed out on the way back here. The doc had you under surveillance through the night but he said you'd be fine. No frost bite or hypothermia or anything."

Gumball gulped. Of course the Ice Queen hadn't been a dream. That nightmare had been very real. He nestled more comfortably within his blankets and found himself lost in thought as the memories became clearer.

"Marshall… The Ice Queen said you weren't the one who brought me to her. Is that true?"

The vampire sighed. "Yeah, it is."

"You said it was… Ashlyn? Your lover?"

"Girlfriend. Well, ex-girlfriend now. She… ugh." Marshall ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the floor. "She and I have been off and on for a while, and… she knew I wanted the Ice Queen's crown. But I never successfully stole it from her, and she said she'd only give it to me if I found a prince for her to marry. When I met you, it was like I hit the lottery. But then I… I dunno. I guess, after we started hanging out together, I didn't really wanna do that to you anymore. And Ashlyn… she hated feeling like she was competing for my attention. I guess she thought if she got me the crown, she'd be killing two birds with one stone. So she planned the whole thing, knocked me out, kidnapped you, and brought me the fake crown the Ice Queen had given her. And then we fought and broke up, and… you know the rest."

It was a lot to take in. If he really thought about it, Gumball could see that this was plausible. It made no sense for Marshall Lee to stab him in the back after all of that. He remembered the white haired girl, Ashlyn, and the way she'd glared at him as Gumball left the party, and about how she'd questioned him for staying so close to Marshall. It made sense. And furthermore, the Ice Queen herself had confirmed that it hadn't been Marshall Lee. Why would she lie if it wasn't to her own benefit?

Even if there was some glaringly obvious hole in this story, Gumball didn't care. He didn't want to see it. He _wanted_ to believe Marshall's story. He _had_to. Marshall was his friend, and the vampire teen wouldn't have come for Gumball in the first place if Marshall didn't consider the prince to be his friend. Gumball had few enough of those, and he wanted to stay friends with Marshall. It felt strange to write off the betrayal he felt so easily, but Gumball didn't want to cling to it anymore. He wanted to start right where they left off.

"You okay?" Marshall asked.

Gumball looked up with a smile. "I'm fine. Can you please do me a favor and put on that mix tape?"

Marshall smiled, too. He sat on the edge of Gumball's bed and ruffled the candy prince's hair. "Sure thing, kiddo."


	11. Imagining

A/N: This chap isn't exactly action packed, but stick with me until the next chapter! There might be some actual romance coming up ;D -hint, nudge-

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

* * *

The Candy Queen scarcely let her son out of her sight since his kidnapping. All of the other royals were on their guard. Who knew which prince the Ice Queen's next victim could be? Queen Carmen was terrified that the witch would come back for her precious son, and the thought of even leaving him alone while he slept was a chilling thought. There was no better time to strike than when their guard was down at night. Banana guards had been commanded to work in alternating night shifts so that the prince's room was never left unprotected.

Between lessons, holding court, and having guards patrolling everywhere he went, Gumball never had time to relax anymore. He tried to explain to Marshall Lee that he wouldn't be available to go to any parties in the near future, but as soon as the kidnapping hysteria started to ebb, he'd have a smidgen more freedom. At least, he hoped so.

Prince Gumball was somewhat annoyed with his mother. He would never slight her for taking precautions to protect him, but it irked him that she still didn't trust Marshall Lee. After Marshall brought the prince back to the candy kingdom, the vampire told Queen Carmen that the Ice Queen had kidnapped Gumball, and Marshall Lee saved him. Gumball backed up his story – which was basically the truth – but neither Queen Carmen nor MoChro seemed to fully believe it. They were both still distrustful of Marshall Lee. And for that, the queen refused to allow her son to associate with the Vampire King. She believed that she'd finally stomped out the odd "friendship" the prince had struck up with the undead teen.

However, no one ever seemed to notice the bat that flew in through Gumball's balcony every few nights.

As usual, Gumball was alerted by the gentle tapping on the glass door, and he sprang out of bed to open it. Once the bat fluttered inside, it took the form of a lanky boy. He flipped his hair from his eyes and grinned down at his younger companion.

"Hello, Marshall Lee," Gumball smiled.

"What's up, kid?" the vampire gave the prince's shoulder a soft punch. "You ready to sneak out tonight?"

The prince frowned. "I wish I could. Mother says we're going to visit the Duchess of Nuts for her birthday party tomorrow, and we'll have to be up before dawn to make it there on time, so I'm afraid I can't stay out late tonight."

Marshall let out an exaggerated sigh and flopped down on the prince's bed. "_Laaame_. Why do you have so many lame-ass parties to go to?"

"I have responsibilities, Marshall. Unlike a certain vampire I know," Gumball added with a playful smile.

"Pff. Responsibilities are for sissies."

The boys shared a laugh and Gumball walked over to the computer he kept on the other side of his room. He booted it up and said, "It's my turn to pick the music tonight, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Just don't pick something bad."

Gumball rolled his eyes as he scrolled through the playlist he'd created and started it up. "I don't listen to bad music."

As the sweet melodies drifted over him, the candy prince smiled and walked out on his balcony to enjoy the spring breeze wafting around the castle. Scents of the many flowers populating the castle gardens reached him and the soft wind tickled his skin. With the company of his dear friend and the music to serenade him, Gumball was content. He closed his eyes and wished that he could live in that moment forever.

"It's a beautiful night," he sighed.

"Full moon, too," the vampire said. He'd appeared on the balcony beside the prince. "Just ditch your plans for tomorrow. It's the perfect night to jam out with Party Pat."

Gumball glanced over at his friend. "You know I can't do that. We'll have to wait for another night."

Marshall Lee groaned and dramatically slumped over the bannister. "I thought I taught you to be a better rule-breaker than this."

He nudged the vampire with his elbow and said excitedly, "We can still be rule breakers without leaving the castle."

When Marshall Lee only grunted in response, Gumball took it upon himself to climb up on the bannister where it met the castle wall and start to scale the uneven surface. Marshall Lee turned his head and chuckled, "What are you doing, goofball?"

"Rule breaking!" Gumball panted. Climbing up the castle wall was hard work for someone who lived only a moderately active lifestyle, even if the wall was only a few feet tall. Gumball felt the shingles scraping against his palms as he tried in vain to pull himself over the lip of the roof. "A little assistance would be appreciated," he called.

Marshall's hands grabbed him around the waist and the vampire effortlessly hoisted the candy prince onto the roof.

"So, what exactly are we doing?" he asked.

Gumball smiled and continued to climb up the roof until it leveled off. Once he reached the flat surface, he sat down triumphantly and announced, "No one is allowed on the castle roof. But _I_ do it all the time."

Marshall couldn't seem to believe his ears. Gumball was sitting there with his chest puffed out and a smug grin on his face like he'd just outwitted every last person in the Candy Kingdom… because he'd climbed on the _roof_. He couldn't help it; the vampire doubled over laughing until tears came to his eyes.

"What? What are you laughing at? Marshall!"

Gumball was so naïve and innocent. He lied to the Candy Queen, snuck out to go to outrageous parties once a week, and chose to spend his free time getting into all kinds of shenanigans with a vampire – and yet the little prince's crowning achievement – in his own eyes – was _this_. When Marshall finally got control of his laughter, he reclined lazily beside Gumball. The little prince did not seem pleased that he wasn't in on the joke, and Marshall figured he wouldn't see the humor in it anyway. He asked, "So what do you come up here for?"

"Star gazing," the prince said uncertainly. "When MoChro is here to give me a boost, I bring my telescope. I find it relaxing."

"Do you know the constellations?" Marshall Lee asked.

"Of course!" Gumball said. "I know all of them. I've been going to the planetarium since I was four."

"All right, brainiac. Show me Scorpio."

Gumball laughed. "Is that a trick question?"

Marshall raised his eyebrows at his younger companion. Gumball chuckled and replied, "There isn't a constellation called Scorpio."

"'Course there is," the vampire pouted. "It's right there." He pointed up at the stars and traced an outline of the constellation with his fingertip.

Gumball tried to follow the pattern, chewing the inside of his cheek as he thought. "Hmmm… You mean Sucrose?"

"_Sucrose?_" the vampire snorted.

"Yes. It's part of the Trifecta – look there. Fructose north of Sucrose, and that little one over there is Glucose."

Marshall Lee rolled his eyes. "Those ones are Ursa Major and Ursa Minor."

"You're just making these names up, aren't you?" Gumball frowned.

"Nope. Those are the names humans gave the constellations."

Gumball was taken aback. "Humans? There haven't been any recorded sightings of humans in eight hundred years. How would you know that?"

Marshall Lee looked up at the sky. Forever stretched on before him and all he could see were stars and stars and stars. Without the interruptions of the rest of the world, he felt like he was back in the wreckage of a destroyed building with a backpack for a pillow and the warmth of his father beside him. He remembered his forehead wrinkling in concentration as his father pointed up at the smog covered sky and told him where all of the star formations were when there was no pollution to hide them. One hundred years later, when humans became an endangered species, the pollution finally cleared and Marshall Lee saw the stars for the first time the way his father dreamed he would.

"I was human once. Kind of."

Gumball stared at the vampire as if seeing him for the first time. He eagerly leaned over Marshall Lee with fire in his eyes unrivaled by any passion the undead teen had seen before.

"You _were?_"

Marshall Lee shrugged. "Well… half-human. Vampires aren't just born, Gumball."

"Half-human… and half-what?" Gumball asked.

This was not where Marshall Lee wanted this conversation to go. He was spiraling down a road of memories best left untouched. He swallowed uncomfortably, and replied, "It's not important."

"But it is! Hybrid species have always fascinated me. Would you allow me to take a blood sample from you? I'd love to study—"

"I'm not your science experiment!" Marshall Lee snapped.

The harsh tone caught the candy prince off guard. His words drove a knife through his heart, and Gumball couldn't imagine why. It was an innocent enough request, wasn't it? Wasn't it flattering to say that someone like Marshall intrigued him? Gumball didn't understand why he was so angry, why he was now sulking with his knees drawn up to his chest and a scowl on his face. The candy prince wanted to insist upon his request, but Marshall was in no state to acquiesce and Gumball had a terrible feeling that the vampire was going to leave altogether if he pressed the matter any further. But now that the initial damage had been done, Gumball didn't know how to fix it. As he panicked, he cursed himself for not taking care to read Making Friends: Vol. 3 Arguing & Apologizing.

"I'm sorry," Gumball said, hoping that he was going about this the right way.

When Marshall refused to reply, Gumball knew for certain the vampire had taken far more offense than the prince ever could have intended. He worried that he'd ruined their friendship already, and frantically tried to find a way to amend it. After wracking his brain to find the solution, he finally asked, "If you were part human, that means you lived with humans before, right?"

"So what," Marshall grunted.

"If you did, does that mean you _really _were alive a thousand years ago?"

Marshall hesitated before saying, "Yes."

Gumball took care to sound as innocent as possible when he asked, "Could you tell me about it?"

"About what?" he muttered.

"About… about humans. And what everything was like a thousand years ago."

"Why?" he snapped.

"Because I want to know. I don't know anyone else who survived the Great Mushroom War, and there are few enough intact artifacts from that time period, so I… well, I was just curious. I wanted to know more about the time you lived in."

Marshall Lee was silent for so long that Gumball feared he'd stepped on another landmine. Was it wrong of him to want to know more? Marshall was so unique. A hybrid species, eternally youthful, royalty in his own right, and now, a primary source of historical information. Gumball had never been more fascinated by another being before. There was so much he could learn from the vampire. But to begin, Marshall would have to be willing to talk. The prince was about to throw in the towel and resign himself to the fact that his intellectual pursuits concerning the past stopped there, but Marshall finally spoke.

"A thousand years ago, there were seven continents. Four oceans. The majority of the world was water, and humans were the dominant species. We called the planet Earth."

Gumball looked over at the vampire and saw starlight glittering in Marshall Lee's blood red eyes. He saw some sense of longing in them that the candy prince could never comprehend. A thousand years was an unfathomable length of time. To imagine that Marshall had lived at least that long… It struck the prince that Marshall must have once had parents and friends, and some of them must have been human. And Marshall would have stayed as he was, forever young, forever immortal, as they all died. As Gumball watched his friend, he wondered how much pain he'd experienced that he would never show. Part of him wanted to tell Marshall Lee that it was all right. That he didn't have to continue talking about things that would only upset him. But the words kept coming and not even Marshall seemed to be able to stop them. He told Gumball about so many things. About animals that no longer existed, plants that were once abundant, and the stage of technology humans reached before their complacency destroyed their entire race. Gumball listened, astounded, as the stories poured out. There was much Marshall Lee didn't know, as the Great Mushroom War had already happened by the time he was born. Most of what he knew was second hand information, or things he'd learned later from a handful of books he'd salvaged. Marshall Lee wanted to save the memories of the Earth he remembered, even if he would never see it again.

Hours passed, and Gumball, as enraptured as he was by Marshall's discourse, found his eyes drooping. The little prince fell asleep next to the vampire under the silver moon.

Marshall noticed how Gumball's breathing had slowed, and he paused to look down at the prince. He was fast asleep and balled up like a cat. The vampire had to smile, and then realized how sore his jaw was from talking. It'd been forever since Marshall had spoken so much. He stretched the muscles he hadn't used in several hours and wondered just how long he'd spent talking. He let out a sigh and figured that he'd might as well head out and see if Party Pat's rave was still going. That would take his mind off of things. Before he left, he scooped up Gumball in his arms and floated back down to the balcony and into the prince's bed room. As carefully as he could, Marshall set him down on the bed and pulled up the covers. For a moment, he simply watched as Prince Gumball slept on peacefully. Marshall smiled. He was so fragile. So young. So trusting. His mother was right to worry about him. It wasn't every day that a mortal put his life in the hands of an undead bloodsucker. But it made him happy to think that, after living a thousand lonely years, he'd found someone to rely on him.

Marshall tried not to dwell on that; he wasn't one for sappy thoughts. He tucked the blankets around the prince more snugly and murmured, "G'night, kiddo."

* * *

Bright sunset light was just starting to filter through Marshall's window when he heard a persistent knock on his front door. He glanced over at his clock, registered the time, and groaned as he buried his face under a pile of pillows and blankets. It wasn't even dusk yet; it was far too early for him to be up. If he wanted to be up until day break, he'd need to sleep in for at least another couple of hours. Whoever was knocking on his door would just have to come back later.

But the persistent door-knocker wouldn't let up. Every few seconds, the person would pause and restart louder and longer than last time. How was a guy supposed to get a decent day's rest with some jackass making a racket outside of his house? To pester the Vampire King, this person must have been suicidal.

Or Gumball.

Marshall Lee slumped out of bed, grumbling and scratching his messy mop of hair as he floated as slowly as possible to the front door. He pulled it open just as the annoying door-knocker raised his hand to start again.

Unsurprisingly, it was Gumball standing there and bouncing on his toes in excitement. Lord Monochromicorn stood off in the distance, as if he was trying to stay as far from Marshall Lee's house as he could while still keeping an eye on the prince.

"I've done it," the little prince announced, breathless in his fervor.

"Done what, pissed me off?" Marshall grunted. His voice was so hoarse that he doubted Gumball could actually understand what he said.

"I've convinced Mother and the councilors to amend the law concerning night creatures and the Candy Kingdom. Up until now, they've been forbidden, but I've written an amendment to the law that allows you to enter freely, and now we can spend time at the castle together," Gumball explained. He spoke so fast that Marshall had to take a moment to dissect the words in order to make sense of them.

Marshall rubbed sleep from his eyes and stared at the prince. "What you're saying is, you've rewritten a centuries old law… so we can have bro time at your place."

"Essentially, yes," Gumball grinned. "I explained the situation to mother, because I simply don't find it fair that I impose on you so much, and it would be rude to bar someone of your status from our kingdom."

"You told her I was out hosting you," Marshall commented. He raised his eyebrows and scrutinized the prince.

Gumball blushed. "Well… I… We are renowned for our hospitality, and in light of the situation… it just seemed silly to… All right, yes. Mother is an excellent hostess and she didn't want her image tarnished by excluding a friend of mine from the castle. I suppose you could say I… I _may_ have… coerced her…"

The vampire let out a bark of laughter. "Dude. That is awesome!"

He and raised his hand for a fist bump until Gumball smiled shyly and returned the gesture. The prince continued, "I would like it if you came to dinner tonight. Since your first meeting with Mother was, um…"

"Disastrous," Marshall filled in.

Gumball nodded. "Quite. Since you got off to a bad start, I'd like for you to come over tonight so that she can really get to know you the way I do. I know she'll like you, and then she can become more comfortable with the idea of us being friends."

Marshall wanted to pass it up, but how could he when Gumball was looking up at him with those puppy dog eyes? He hesitated, knowing that he should refuse, that this night couldn't possibly end as well as Gumball envisioned. But instead, Marshall Lee said, "All right, fine."

"Excellent! I'll see you at seven!"

Marshall watched as Gumball ran to MoChro and the steed took flight as fast as lightning. Whether it was because of MoChro's distrust of the vampire or simply animal instinct, he couldn't be sure. But Marshall Lee sincerely hoped the Candy Queen wouldn't be as desperate to escape his presence.

* * *

A/N: So, my new job has me working way fewer hours than my old one, and between paying for bills and food, I'm hemorrhaging money right now, so I'm kinda desperate for a little extra cash … Would you guys be interested if I did commissions? Like, fanfic commissions? They'd probably be one shots, approximately 4,000 words, and maybe $4-$5 for each? ;^; mmm I dunno, still gotta work out the details… if any of you would be interested or have some suggestions, please let me know!


	12. Impression

A/N: Sorry this took so long x.x I spent a few nights away from my laptop/fangirling over Thorin Oakenshield so updating took a back seat lol.

By the way, the fabulous Fabula et Dolum made (im)Perfect fanart. Go bask in its glory. Right now. fabula-et-dolum dot deviantart dot com /#/ d5o9s6b (replace 'dot' with '.' and remove spaces)

* * *

Tonight, everything would be _perfect_.

Prince Gumball oversaw the bustling kitchen and found himself stressing over every little thing. The head chef had been instructed to prepare only red foods; the Candy Prince would not deny his friend the delight of eating a single course of this glorious meal. And yet, as he watched all of the food being prepared, although he'd never had a qualm with the chefs before, he found himself becoming increasingly frustrated.

"No, no! The rubiyat apples go in the pie, not the pink pearl. There isn't enough beet juice, add another quarter cup. Where is the strawberry sorbet? Why is this _green?_ I was very clear, the only red romaine was to be used in the salad! Who is preparing the peppers? Why aren't they finished yet?"

And on and on it went. Gumball fussed over garnishing and threw away entire courses that were deemed to have too little red or too much of another color. Didn't they understand what red was? Gumball let out an exasperated sigh and was ready to clear out the kitchen and prepare the food himself, when his mother entered and pulled him aside so that Gumball had an entirely different problem to stress over.

As she tugged him down the hall by the arm, Gumball wondered whether she'd taken him away to spare the kitchen staff his criticisms, or to chastise him once again. Gumball had heard enough on the issue; he knew his mother's opinion and didn't need to hear her scolding once again. She would not change his mind, but she certainly could make him feel guiltier. After having spent a sufficient amount of time in silence, Gumball asked, "Are you still cross with me?" From his small voice, Gumball sounded like a small child.

Queen Carmen slowed to a halt and let out a sigh. "Yes," she replied.

Gumball chewed on his lower lip. "Please try, Mother. I know you'd like him if you just gave him a chance."

She looked down at him, her violet eyes weary, and she brushed hair from his eyes with a gentle hand. "My sweet, it was against my better judgment to allow that fiend into our kingdom. Royalty or not, a vampire is a vampire. Someday, he will turn on you. You may call him your friend, and he may say the same words, but he will never mean them. Such a soulless creature could never understand the feelings of friendship or trust."

"Marshall Lee is not a soulless creature," Gumball snapped, backing away from her touch. "He sometimes has an odd way of showing it, but he does care. Please just _try_ to see things from another perspective."

"How can I, when all I see when I imagine him is your corpse in his arms?"

To that, Gumball had nothing to say. He wanted to say something comforting, but Queen Carmen would not be swayed by words. Words meant nothing. They were just empty promises determined to chip away at her heart. And she'd heard too many meaningless words. Her husband's promises of feeling healthy, her son's reassurances that he obeyed her every word, her people's lies about everything under the sun. Gumball took her hand in his and kissed it, murmuring, "If you can't trust him, trust my judgment."

But the Candy Queen had had quite enough of words. She did not reply as she walked down the corridor to the dining hall, and Gumball watched her move with the poise and grace that any queen would want to emulate. He knew she still carried the burden of the kingdom on her shoulders, only partially relieved by her son, and Gumball knew the last thing on her mind should be his safety. He only hoped that tonight, Marshall Lee could show his mother she had nothing to fear.

Prince Gumball paced and paced. He kept checking his pocket watch every thirty seconds, looking to the sky, and pacing once more. It was three minutes until seven, and Marshall was nowhere to be seen. Stop, check the time, look up, pace again. Sweat started to form on his brow. Tonight had to be perfect. It _had_ to be. Where was Marshall Lee?

"Boo."

Gumball jumped and spun around, almost tumbling down the stairs as Marshall Lee appeared directly behind him where no one had been standing only a moment prior.

"You _scared _- Where did you— how –" Gumball gasped.

Marshall snickered. " Scaredy cat."

"That would frighten anyone! You just _appeared_ there!"

The vampire smirked. "I've been here for a while, you're just oblivious."

Gumball's heart was still racing, and he tried to retort, but he was struck by Marshall's appearance. Perhaps the vampire hadn't dressed as formally as Gumball would have liked, but it was passable. He wore a dark gray pinstriped vest over a white button up, but kept his faded red canvas shoes and his hair was still a lazy mess. If he was honest with himself, Gumball expected the vampire to show up in a T shirt and ripped jeans, so the fact that his clothes were all intact was a definite plus. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that at least his mother couldn't slight the vampire for his wardrobe. Well, as long as she didn't look at his shoes.

"I'm glad you came," Gumball said.

Marshall lifted an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I? You invited me."

Gumball just smiled and opened the doors of the castle to escort the vampire inside. Marshall glanced around and tried not to look overly impressed by the décor. Candy royals didn't skimp on luxuries. Everything from the elaborate tapestries to the ornate china to the spun sugar busts looked expensive. All down the hall, Gumball chattered about particular relics or paintings on display while Marshall Lee listened quietly. Gumball was in his element. Bragging about his family's history and all of his home's fine furnishings was as easy as breathing. Perhaps his lessons in public speaking were beginning to develop his skill at hosting. Marshall Lee listened with mild amusement until they reached the dining hall where the queen had already been seated.

Gumball smiled as he announced, "Marshall Lee, allow me to formally introduce you to Queen Carmen, my regent and mother. Mother, this is Marshall Lee the Vampire King."

The queen did not rise, but inclined her head ever so slightly in Marshall Lee's direction. Marshall, in turn, bowed low at the waist and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you under more civil circumstances, Your Grace."

"The pleasure is all mine," she replied.

Whether or not Gumball noticed that the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, he bounced his toes and said, "Let's begin the feast, shall we?"

Marshall Lee took his seat and observed the courses as they came out. He was surprised to see that every item on every plate was some shade of red. It was impressive that Gumball had gone to such lengths, and he idly reached for a wine glass in the middle of the prince's discourse on his day's events. Just as he brought the glass to his lips, Queen Carmen cut across her son.

"I must apologize for this inconvenience, but that is only wine."

Marshall looked up at her over the wine glass and slowly lowered it. "I'm aware."

The queen's smile did not touch her eyes. "I was under the impression that your kind was fond of something a bit thicker."

Gumball chuckled nervously. "I must have forgotten to explain. It's only an old wives tale that vampires live solely on blood. They sustain themselves off of shades of red. Right, Marshall?"

"You got it, kiddo," Marshall replied. He picked up the glass of wine once more, and slowly, all of the color drained from the wine. When he placed the goblet back on the table, the liquid within was clear.

Gumball grinned. "Isn't it fascinating, Mother?"

"Quite."

Marshall tried to focus on the herb stuffed cherry tomatoes on his plate rather than the queen. Gumball eventually engaged the vampire in a conversation about Queen Chicletta, one of Gumball's ancestors, whom Marshall Lee had met at one point in his life. The prince tried to pull his mother into the chatter at various points, but she would only nod politely or say a word or two before returning to her plate. She barely touched her food.

Marshall Lee was feeling sufficiently sated until the dessert course was announced and the table was lined with more pastries than the vampire had ever seen. Tarts with red apples and pomegranate, raspberry gelato, cherry cheesecake, meringues in shades from scarlet to coral, a massive strawberry cake stopped with fluffy pink buttercream and dripping with syrup. There were turnovers and cupcakes, ice cream and pies, puddings and gelatins, and so many other things that Marshall Lee couldn't even name. He tried to rationalize that, being in the Candy Kingdom, of course they would take pride in their pastry skills above all else, but even this was excessive. There were only three of them; Queen Carmen hardly ate, Marshall could only drain the color, and Gumball seemed to be the only one with a bottomless stomach. The vampire would have refused more than a bite or two of dessert if only the queen wasn't watching him like a hawk. Like she was waiting for him to screw up. Marshall would not give her that luxury. He deliberately took a helping of everything within reach even if he'd end up regretting it later.

Marshall Lee could have sworn Gumball had eaten at least a third of the entire five tiered strawberry cake himself, in addition to at least one of every other dessert in the spread, before the Candy Prince leaned back in his chair and sighed happily. "I believe I've had enough. Was everything to your liking Marshall?"

Marshall lowered his forkful of pastry and replied, "Yeah, it was great. Especially that tart thingy. The one with the pomegranate."

"Ah, yes! That was my own personal recipe. Rubiyat apples and pomegranate seeds, along with sugar, crème fraische, a bit of—"

"I do hope you're not still hungry."

Both Marshall and Gumball turned to the queen at her words. Marshall replied, "Nah, I'm stuffed. Thanks for-"

"Wonderful. If you would be so kind as to accompany me to the gardens, I would be most appreciative."

"Oh, yes! I never gave you a tour of the gardens!" Gumball exclaimed. "It will be lovely, let's go!"

"It's late, my love. Return to your room," the queen said.

Gumball's face fell. "But, Mother—"

"Do not object. Go to sleep. I will give our guest a tour of the gardens myself."

Marshall Lee rose but did not immediately follow the queen. He looked over at Gumball, who was apparently horrified, and then to the guards who made to follow the queen. The vampire was not surprised. Perhaps this was the queen's plan all along; to play along that Marshall Lee was her dinner guest only to send Gumball away and have her guards murder him once outside. He would play along as well. If the queen wanted to play dirty, fine. He would just kill her entire guard. That would be the last time she ever thought to back stab a dinner guest. But he was surprised when she waved a dismissive hand at the guards and said, "No. We will go alone. See to it that my son makes it to his bed room."

Marshall shrugged at the little prince and followed the queen on foot. She never spoke a word as they wove through the hallways of the castle until they arrived at the rear entrance to the gardens. Marshall had seen them before whenever he snuck into the castle to see Gumball; after all, the prince's balcony was right above the gardens. Marshall Lee looked up to see if they were under his bed room, but the queen had purposely taken them to the opposite side of the castle. He listened and watched, expecting a trap or an ambush, but he was alone with the queen. She turned to face the vampire, her chin held high and a fire in her eyes. Marshall had to commend her for her bravery to fearlessly stare down a night creature.

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner," Marshall said, attempting to break the tense silence.

"You know very well that I did not invite you," she replied coldly. "I would never willingly let scum of the Nightosphere into my home."

Marshall grinned. "What makes you think I'm from the Nightosphere?"

Her tone was ice. "Don't take me for a fool. Not even my son knows the intricacies of my information network."

"And why would the queen of a peaceful place like the Candy Kingdom need a network like that?"

She laughed bitterly. "My late husband spent a decade in a state of mental decay and my son has several years yet until he takes the throne. To keep this kingdom peaceful, and to protect my family, I've had to take certain precautions. My informants are the best in the land. Possibly in the world. There is little I don't know, Marshall Lee Abadeer."

The use of his last name sent a flare of anger through him, but he had to admit, it was amusing that the queen was so bold. "You're not in the mood for bullshit, huh? For the record, I prefer Evans to Abadeer."

"Is that so? Then I suppose my informants should have dug a bit deeper to find out why. Is that your way of dissociating from your mother?"

Marshall had never wanted to hurt a woman, but the queen was pushing him too far. "Who the fuck is your informant?"

"No one you know. A lesser demon that you never would have looked at twice," she replied, a grim smile on her face. "There are more creatures than you know who despise you, Marshall Lee. Many are willing to sell information about you."

As disconcerting as the thought was, it was nothing Marshall hadn't already known. What bothered him was that someone was far from the Nightosphere dimension as the Candy Queen had so easily found someone who knew about him and possibly spied on him.

"What's the point of all of this? Are you trying to blackmail me or something?"

"I'm trying to protect my son," she snapped. "He is the last of his line. He is all I have left. He is all this _kingdom_ has left. He may believe that you're different from the other monsters, but I never will. My son has a kind heart, but he's young and naïve. He doesn't know how the world works. He doesn't know that the man you call your friend today might drive a knife into your heart tomorrow. That is why he trusts you and calls you his _friend_. But listen well, vampire. If any ill befalls him, I will come for you. And you will rue the day you decided to betray my prince."

"And when that day comes, I'll gladly offer up my head for the chopping block," Marshall Lee replied with a malicious smirk.

"It won't be your head I'm after," the queen replied. She closed the distance between then and placed the tip over her finger on Marshall's chest. "It will be that cold dead thing you call a heart."

Queen Carmen left him alone in the gardens, and he heard her footsteps trail away as she walked down the long hallway. For a long while, Marshall wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Deep down, part of him wanted to tear the queen into a thousand little pieces. How dare she spy on him? To make assumptions about his nature and personality was one thing. But this was quite another. He wanted to terrify her. To transform and morph into some grotesque creature that would send her to an early grave. That would teach her better than to pry into the Vampire King's past.

Marshall Lee was surrounded with beautiful flowers and elegant pathways and fountains. And yet, he could see nothing but ugliness. He loathed how she had toyed with him, and yet, he had to commend her for her bravery. She'd gone to great lengths to protect Gumball. Marshall didn't want to hurt the little prince, but nothing he'd ever say would convince her of that. And yet she'd had the guts to face him alone and _threaten_ him. All for the sake of her son. Marshall couldn't slight her for that. And yet he couldn't help but to be furious.

That was when he heard someone rustling around behind the shrubbery. He wasn't sure whom or what he expected to see, but it certainly wasn't Gumball. The prince was watery eyed and looked terrified. Marshall's eyebrows flew up his forehead.

"How long have you been there?" Marshall had been so sure that he was alone with the queen. Perhaps he was just so accustomed to Gumball's presence that he didn't even notice him.

The prince looked down at his feet. "A while."

Marshall ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. Vague as it was, his tone spoke volumes. Gumball had heard enough to know that his plans to make his mother accept Marshall Lee had failed.

"Listen, Gumball," Marshall started, but he had no idea what else to say.

"You're not going to leave, are you?" the prince asked, meeting Marshall's gaze anxiously. "I mean, we're still going to be friends, right?"

"What? Why wouldn't we be?" the vampire asked.

Gumball fidgeted and walked closer to Marshall Lee. "I… I was afraid Mother had scared you off. I'm so sorry, Marshall. I had no idea she… It was only for my sake, but… Marshall, I'm sorry. Please don't be angry with her. She just doesn't…"

"She just doesn't like me. Or trust me. And she won't, ever. But as long as you want me to, I'll stick around."

The little prince looked up at Marshall, his childlike eyes so round and innocent. Queen Carmen was right. He was young and naïve. It was dangerous for someone in a position of great power to be so innocent. And yet, Marshall Lee hoped that the prince would never lose that innocence. He tried hard to smile at Gumball, but Marshall found it difficult with the weight of Queen Carmen's threats on his mind.

Gumball walked closer to Marshall, opening his mouth a few times as if waiting for words that couldn't come. Then, a few teardrops overflowed, and just like that, he was a sobbing mess, throwing himself around Marshall Lee's waist, splattering hot tears all over his shirt.

"Promise me, Marshall," Gumball hiccupped. "You won't ever leave."

Marshall hated it when people cried. Normally he'd just make a few faces, drop some kind of a silly joke or something, and the problem would go away. People would smile again. But he had a feeling that wouldn't quite work this time. He hesitantly returned Gumball's embrace.

"I promise," the vampire said.

"We'll be best friends forever, right?" Gumball asked. He looked up through a haze of tears, desperate for comfort.

Marshall couldn't stand to see him cry. His smile came more easily and he affectionately mussed up the prince's hair.

"Of course we will. Now turn off the waterworks. I'm going to teach you the proper names of the constellations."


	13. Immodest

A/N: Hello, fellow apocalypse survivors! Let me start by saying: I SUCK. I'm so sorry. First I drop off the face of the earth and then don't even keep the promise to update on time… fml ;n; Never work in retail around the holidays. Ever. For the last week or two, I've worked 10+ hour shifts on very little sleep… (zombie mode activated, lol) I also had some important birthdays as well as my anniversary right around Christmas which all contributed to the lack of updates. I'm just glad the holidays are over :3 I hope you guys all had a really awesome Christmas/Hanukah/Winter solstice/New Year!

PS: Check out sushi4427's "50 Shades of Red." It's a super cute Marshall/Gumball one shot! Since I can't effectively post the link here, I'll put it on my profile page, along with links to (im)Perfect fanart!

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

****WARNING: This is probably pushing the T rating a little bit… Might be some. Uh. Sexual undertones. Just sayin'.****

* * *

Sweat and smoke filled the air. The rave was winding down, but the night was just beginning. It was the first time he'd been out partying in quite a while; Gumball was quickly winded and ended up stumbling out of the enormous briar dome into the moonlit Verdant Plains. He sucked in a refreshing breath and a smile lifted his lips. Party Pat's name was well earned; the infamous bear certainly did know now to have a good time. Because she and Marshall Lee were so close, Marshall and Gumball always had VIP access to Pat's events. It was kind of her, but Gumball hoped he wouldn't be missed while he stepped out.

After a few minutes in solitude with the breeze cooling sweat on his brow, Gumball discovered he was not alone. He expected to see his undead companion, but it was not Marshall Lee.

"Shouldn't you be with the others, Miss Patricia?" Gumball asked with a smile.

"Just call me Pat," she replied. The humanoid bear walked lightly across the field towards the prince. A vague smile touched her face. Her vacant expression always gave Gumball the impression that she was somewhat stupid, but she was kind and that mattered more than her intelligence.

"Miss Pat," Gumball replied. "My point still stands. Surely you'd rather be inside than out here."

She shrugged her narrow shoulders and looked to the sky. "Surely. But you're outside, too."

Gumball chuckled. "I just needed a breath of fresh air, that's all. I'll return shortly."

"A breath of air. Mmm," she replied. "It's something that people take for granted. The air we breathe. The water we drink. The land we stand on."

"Indeed," Gumball replied.

"Do you appreciate those things, prince?" Pat asked.

"Of course," Gumball said uncertainly.

Pat glanced over at him while tilting back her fedora. "I wonder. Can you really appreciate what you have until you're faced with losing it?"

The sugary prince blinked at her, confused by the question. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

The wide-eyed creature smiled at him. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath."

Gumball did as he was told. She said, "Tell me about the air you just inhaled."

"It is primarily nitrogen and oxygen, with trace amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, and other elements."

Pat laughed. "That's not what I asked."

"I suppose… the air feels rather warm tonight."

"What else? What does it smell like? How does it taste? How did it feel as it entered your lungs?"

Gumball opened his eyes, his brow furrowed. "It doesn't smell like much of anything. Where are you going with these questions?"

Pat tilted her head to the side, her vacant smile still spreading across her face. She closed her eyes as well and audibly inhaled.

"The evening breeze smells like fresh earth and faintly of rotting wood from deep within the forest. It tastes moist and bittersweet tonight, like fresh cut grass and dandelions. When I breathe in, my chest expands not just with the air itself, but with the joy that I've experienced something so glorious and sweet. As I breathe out, I mourn the loss, and yet rejoice that soon, I will find it again. And the cycle goes on."

Gumball stared. He wasn't sure whether his perception of her intelligence was well founded or not any longer.

"I… I suppose I've never thought of it that way before," he admitted.

Pat nodded. "If something as simple as the joy of breathing slipped your mind, imagine all of the other things you've forgotten about."

Confused, he said, "I still don't quite see what the point of this is."

The bear sat down on the ground with her long legs crossed. "These are things the dead and the undead wish they could have. Some of them are perpetually awake. Some can neither eat nor drink. Many cannot even breathe."

"Marshall can do all of those things," Gumball insisted.

"Marshall Lee is unique. Other vampires cannot. They close their eyes, but cannot sleep. They bring food to their lips, but cannot eat. They suck air into their lungs, but cannot breathe. They can't even taste this lovely night air because it isn't the color of blood."

"Why is he different?" Gumball asked. "Is it because he's… only half-vampire?"

"That is irrelevant. My point is, prince, you would not experience these things if _you_ were a vampire."

Gumball couldn't help but to laugh. "Me? A vampire? Why would you say such a silly thing?"

Pat took off her fedora and began spinning it in her hands, watching as the small, shiny buckle on it spun around and around. "Because, for a mortal, you spend a lot of time with a person who could bring you to the world of the undead."

A flicker of annoyance passed through him. The prince folded his arms over his chest indignantly and couldn't keep the stiff tone from his voice. "Thank you for your concern, but Marshall is no danger to me. I've had this conversation with many others before. He would never want to kill me or turn me into a vampire, or anything like that."

"He wouldn't do that," Pat agreed, "but would you?"

Gumball was taken aback. "Would I…?"

"Would you want him to turn you?"

No – that was the obvious answer. Gumball accepted the fact that he lived a mortal life. And that was okay. Someday he would die, his children would succeed him, and his legacy would prevail while his corpse was laid to rest by his father in the mausoleum. That was the cycle of life and death, after all.

But now…

Now that Pat had posed the question, he stopped to wonder. Marshall Lee had been added to the equation of Gumball's life. What would Marshall do once Gumball was dead? Would he mourn? Would he wander the earth in search of a new companion? Honestly, Gumball had no idea. But… but what if Gumball didn't die? What if he lived alongside Marshall Lee… forever? To join him in his immortal life – to be best friends, closer than brothers, until the end of time… What if that was possible?

In theory, it sounded wonderful. The rational part of his brain protested that there were so many terrible things that could go wrong with this plan, and reminded him of all the bad things Pat had only just told him would happen should he turn into a vampire. But when he weighed that against spending an eternity with his Marshall Lee…

"I don't know," Gumball murmured.

"I see," Pat replied. "It is a nice thought, to live forever with someone you love."

Gumball's face flushed within seconds. He jerked his head up and stared incredulously at Pat, and shook his head fiercely. "No – what? I don't _love_ Marshall. I mean, I suppose I do. Like a brother. Or a dear friend. Yes. Yes, that's it. Like that. But I don't love him, you know, like a – like I would my future wife."

Pat's knowing smile deepened the prince's blush. "Of course. Why would you think I meant it the other way?"

"I-I was just being silly. Lost my head, I guess."

"How old are you, prince?"

"Fourteen. I'll be fifteen quite soon," Gumball said.

Pat got to her feet and approached the prince, looking him over with a soft grin. "A good age. But young. Too young to be in love."

"Precisely what I was thinking," Gumball chipped in.

"Tell me what the air tastes like tonight."

"It tastes… fresh, I guess."

Pat clapped him on the shoulder. "You have yet to realize what you'd be giving up. Until you understand and decide you're willing to give it up, stay as you are."

Without knowing what to say, Gumball could only stare with his mouth agape as the lithe party animal padded her way back into the enormous briar patch for the rave. Gumball realized how cold he was now that the sweat had cooled his skin. It would be warm in the rave, but Gumball no longer felt like dancing. Instead, he found himself perplexed by everything that Pat had said. Perhaps she was a bit dim. That must have been it. Why else would she draw such conclusions about Gumball? He'd never even thought of _wanting_ to turn into a vampire until Pat said something.

Now that the idea was in his head, he couldn't get it out. Stupid Pat. How preposterous. And yet… when he really thought about it, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. Gumball wasn't sure how he felt about drinking blood, but he could have shades of red. That was good. No sleep meant all the time in the world could be devoted to his experiments. And Pat was talking nonsense. Air was air, not rotting forests or sweetness or anything frilly and poetic like that. What did it matter if he couldn't _taste_ the air? These were all small prices to pay in exchange for eternal life.

And better yet, he could spend so much time with Marshall Lee. They could party all night and Gumball would never tire. They could travel anywhere in the world. Gumball could learn to _fly_. What a glorious feeling that must be. Their friendship would never die. There would never be a pair of friends that could say the same. A smile touched his lips as Gumball imagined all of the bizarre adventures they could embark on together.

But Pat implied some really uncool things. Like, that Gumball only considered this road because he – supposedly – loved Marshall Lee. That couldn't be it. They were friends. They were _best_ friends, like brothers. Brothers didn't fall in love. Besides, even if they did, it was Gumball's obligation to marry a princess and continue his family line. Loving Marshall Lee was not a viable course. Unless it was as friends. Because, as Gumball staunchly explained, that was the only way he loved Marshall. Loving friends was perfectly acceptable. And Marshall was Gumball's best friend, so it was only natural that he loved the vampire very much. As a friend. Entirely.

She thought Gumball didn't appreciate the air. The stupid air. What did it matter? What did taste and sleep and breathing matter compared to eternal life with his beloved friend?

Maybe. Just maybe. Gumball knew he'd have to ask Marshall. But when he thought about it, becoming a vampire really didn't seem like a bad idea. After all, it didn't bother Marshall Lee.

Right?

The vampire in question swooped out of the briar dome rave with a girl on each arm. One was a beautiful young nymph and the other was a fire elemental. She giggled as Marshall's sleeve singed at her touch. The undead teen grinned.

"What are you still doing out here?"

"Just thinking," Gumball replied.

"Think later. I found a lady who's interested in you," the vampire said with an exaggerated wink.

The pale white nymph's cheeks turned to a soft pink color as she smiled shyly at Gumball. "Um, hello," the prince murmured.

She turned her face away, and both the nymph and the fire elemental burst into a fit of giggles. Gumball ignored it. "Marshall, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away – ouch, dammit!"

Marshall turned to look at the backside of his jeans and found a hand-shaped section had been seared off. The fire girl could barely contain her laughter as she sprinkled a handful of charred denim on the ground.

"Ha ha ha," the vampire muttered. "Come on, use flame shield before you burn off the rest of my clothes!"

The fire girl leaned in close and smiled. "Actually, I like that idea."

Marshall allowed himself to grin as well. "Well, when you put it that way…"

She reached for him, but Marshall leaned away. "Flame shield first. I'm not burning off my junk tonight just to say I slept with a fire elemental."

She pouted, but murmured a spell and cast a blue aura around the vampire. Gumball was intrigued by the spell as he'd never seen it done before, but had to ignore his curiosity for the time being. The nymph had gotten closer to him at some point; Gumball walked right passed her.

"Marshall, we're best friends, right?"

"Duh. Why do you think I just brought this babe out for you?" Marshall asked, gesturing at the nymph.

"We'll be friends forever, right?"

"Gumball, you're ignoring your lady friend."

The pink prince turned to see the nymph standing right behind him, nervously twisting her hands together as she stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Oh, my apologies. Can I help you with something, my lady?"

She quickly covered her scarlet cheeks with her hands and turned away. "Y-You don't have to call me that, I-I'm… I'm just Laila…"

"Miss Laila, then. What can I do for you?"

She blinked her large, pale eyes at him and slowly lowered her hands from her face. She was incredibly beautiful. Her hair was tinted turquoise and looked like a flowing river that cascaded down to her waist, and her skin reminded him of white caps on ocean waves.

"I… Would you… Can you…"

The fire elemental called, "She wants you hook up with her!"

"_Blaze!_" Laila pouted, she turned away with a fresh blush.

"You want me to, uh… hang out with you?" Gumball asked.

"Something like that," Marshall grinned.

"Oh. I... I'd be delighted, Miss Laila," Gumball said.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Of course," Gumball said, feeling quite uncertain.

Marshall leaned over to ruffle Gumball's hair. "All right! Let's move this party back to my place."

* * *

By 'party' evidently Marshall meant only himself, the fire girl Blaze, Laila, and Gumball. The prince lamented that he hadn't even gotten a chance to say good bye to Pat, though Marshall insisted she would understand. He seated himself on the couch, which proved to be excessively uncomfortable, but tried to keep from fidgeting so he wouldn't seem rude. Laila sat beside him and seemed not to even notice the discomfort. She focused intently on her hands which were folded in her lap.

"I'll go get us some drinks," Marshall said, lifting his eyebrows at Blaze. He drifted off to the kitchen while Blaze giggled, "I'll help!" She wandered in after him and called into the living room, "Behave, you two!"

Gumball wasn't exactly sure what she meant, so he decided to write it off as another one of the fire elemental's cryptic comments. Rather than put much thought into it, he smiled at Laila.

"So, Miss Laila, how do you know Marshall Lee and Miss Blaze?"

She jumped, apparently surprised that the prince had spoken to her. The nymph shrugged, and let her eyes flicker nervously around the room. "Blaze and I met at a party in the Cloud Kingdom a few years ago. I've only been to a few of Marshall's shows, so I don't know him very well. Blaze knows him better. I've just seen you guys around together…"

"How strange. Marshall Lee and I have been friends for a few years and I have yet to meet Blaze. She seems like a lovely girl, though."

"Yeah, she's fun," Laila said with an anxious chuckle. "She, uh, she's the one who convinced me to come to the rave tonight."

"Ah, I see. Pat's raves are always quite fun. Sometimes the venues are a bit questionable, but it's to be expected from someone so eccentric."

Laila was frowning. Gumball wondered if he'd said something wrong. She looked up at him with her sea foam green eyes and said, "Do you usually talk about other girls this much?"

The prince, confused by the question, replied, "I suppose… sometimes? My apologies, have I offended you, Miss Laila?"

She turned her head back to the kitchen for a moment, then sighed and returned to staring sadly at her hands.

"No."

Gumball was thoroughly confused now. But to comment on her strange behavior would be rude, so he simply cleared his throat to say, "It certainly is taking them quite a while to get drinks, isn't it?"

Her cheeks turned scarlet once more, and they fell into silence. After a few moments, Gumball realized he could hear footsteps and laughter coming from upstairs. He got up to peek into the kitchen, which was empty. There weren't even any drinks on the counter. It hit him then that Marshall and Blaze were in the vampire's bed room. The prince found himself blushing; he walked back into the living room and said rather loudly, "Perhaps, um, we should go. I-I believe Marshall and Miss Blaze have forgotten about us."

Laila's head snapped up and the nymph shook her head wildly, causing her watery hair to whip around her. "No, please don't go!"

Gumball's brow furrowed. "I don't think you understand. It's getting late, and those two, um, won't need us to entertain them…"

She rose from the stiff sofa and hurried over to him looking as if she was about to cry. Laila hesitated, blushing, and Gumball tried to ask her what was wrong. But she didn't give him a chance. She closed her eyes tight and pressed her lips to his. Gumball's face flushed and he froze. This girl – this breathtakingly beautiful nymph – was kissing him. The only time Gumball had ever been kissed before was by the Ice Queen when he was temporarily her captive. But never had someone so pretty shown such interest in him. He stared at her, dumbfounded, and followed along awkwardly as she pulled him back into the terrible couch. For a few moments, they just looked at each other. Gumball was both too shy and too inexperienced to know what to do. He wondered what Marshall Lee would do in this situation. Judging by the sounds coming from the room upstairs, the vampire was having no difficulty in moving things forward with the fire girl.

Laila brushed a few strands of hair from her face and asked nervously, "Aren't you going to kiss me now?"

Gumball was finding it difficult to swallow. He tried to remember the way her lips moved so he could properly mimic the motions, but everything was one adrenaline rush blur. His brain was filled with static and white noise. After waiting for him – and realizing he didn't know how to continue – she reached over and grabbed him by the collar as she pulled him into a deep, soft kiss. Her lips tasted only slightly of salt, and were cool and moist to the touch. Her hands felt like that, too. It gave him vague tingling sensations when they ghosted over his neck, through the material of his shirt, down to his hands. It was like he was living a dream – kissing a beautiful girl, holding her hand, touching her breast -

Wait.

She'd pulled his hand up to her chest, cupping it against her breast through her bikini top. Gumball gasped, his face feeling as if it was on fire. He tried to pull away, but her grip was strong. She murmured against his lips, "Do you like this?"

"I – I – please, wait," he insisted, his words coming out garbled between her kisses. She paused for a moment, her eyes half-lidded and face flushed. Gumball floundered, trying to find the words. When did all of this happen? No, no, no. "This is – it's too fast. I don't even – what am I doing –"

"It's okay. I'll show you what to do," she said.

Something deep and primal within him wanted to just say _yes_. But Gumball was a prince. A gentleman. He was not about to let hormonal urges let him do something immoral. Something unethical. He barely knew this girl. Her name is Laila, she's a nymph – what else? No, this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. There was supposed to be a friendship phase, a time for courtship and cuddling, and then maybe a while after that, they would kiss. And then on their wedding night, Gumball would consider doing the very things that they were already doing. But there he was, flat on his back on this dreadfully uncomfortable sofa, and barely realizing the discomfort while the nymph lifted up his shirt and unbuttoned his pants.

In that moment, he was conflicted. _Close your eyes. Let it happen. _Part of his brain wanted this. He wanted to see where this would go. To find out just what it was that couples did in bed together. To discover the reason why Marshall Lee was so enamored with the act. But part of him refused.

Part of him was scared.

He would never hurt a woman, but it came about by accident when Gumball scrambled backwards with a strangled yelp and crashed to the floor, tangled up with Laila, who fell along with him. Pain exploded from his elbow, which hit the floor first, and his temple which hit the leg of the sofa. Laila let out a soft wail and sat up cradling her wrist. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

Gumball staggered to his feet and tried to button his pants, but the task was too difficult with his trembling hands.

"I'm sorry," he said repeatedly as Laila struggled to stand.

There was a flurry of footsteps, and Blaze and Marshall Lee appeared in the doorway. Marshall was topless, only just fixing his own jeans, while Blaze gasped and scrambled to Laila's side.

"I'm so sorry," Gumball insisted, pulling his shirt back down into its proper place. "I just can't do this. Are you all right, Miss—"

Blaze snapped her head up to glare at the Candy Prince. "What's your problem, dude?"

"It's just that – I'm not quite comfortable… I do apologize, Miss Laila, but I can't pursue any physical acts with you," Gumball said, his cheeks a deep scarlet.

Laila's eyes overflowed with tears and Blaze shouted over her wails. "Why not? Is she not good enough for you? Just because she's not some fucking princess?"

"That's not it at all!"

"Of course it is, you arrogant asshole!" the fire girl snapped, her flames growing brighter as she spoke. "Why else would you turn her down?"

"Because I – I'm just not ready!" Gumball felt like he was about to cry right along with Laila.

"Bullshit!" the fire girl snapped. "Come on, Laila. Let's ditch these jerks."

As the nymph pulled herself to her feet, Marshall jumped in. "Whoa, hang on, babe! We haven't even finished—"

She drew her hand back and slapped Marshall, the blue flame shield disappearing as a hot red hand shape imprinted itself on the vampire's cheek. He yelped, holding the affected area, and didn't bother to deter the girls as they stormed out.

Silence fell over the vampire's house. Then the anger came.

"What the _fuck_ did you do?"

Gumball shook his head furiously. "Nothing! I didn't even – all of a sudden she was kissing me, and she made me touch her-her chest, and then she was trying to take off my pants – I just – I didn't know what to do! I panicked!"

Marshall reached over and dope slapped the Candy Prince. "Dude! For real? I go through the trouble of finding a girl who's totally into you and you chicken out?"

The only thing holding his tears back was his determination to not cry in front of Marshall Lee. "But everything was happening so fast, and I've never… I'm not –"

"You've never even looked at a girl's cleavage, let alone slept with one before – yeah, I know. That's why I was trying to help you, dude. To get you some experience."

Gumball shook his head to try to clear it, and looked up at Marshall incredulously. "You brought her along _knowing_ she wanted to – to do things with me? And you didn't warn me?"

"Maybe."

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

"Did you just swear?"

Gumball ignored the comment. "How could you do something like this? Perhaps it's simple for you to-to fool around with girls, but that's not the kind of thing I would do! Why didn't you at least warn me about what she might try?

Marshall folded his arms over his chest indignantly. "I didn't know she was going to take things so fast on day one, but I thought you might be a little more willing to get cozy with a hot chick. You keep saying that your mum's pressuring you to pick a princess, and you can't talk to girls for shit, so I figured I oughta push you in the right direction. Get you some practice so you're less likely to screw up with someone that counts, you know?"

"I guess… I don't know. Everything was sort of okay until she… I don't…" Gumball pressed his fingers to his temples. His thoughts were running a mile a minute and he was getting a headache. He wanted everything to just slow down. To reset. If he could just start this night over…

"I know you meant well, Marshall, but I wasn't ready for this. At all. I appreciate that you were trying to do me a favor… In the future, though, please give me a warning or ask for permission first."

The vampire scoffed. "Pff. Right. Like I'm ever gonna do you another favor."

A tense moment passed between the two of them, and Gumball wondered what would happen next. What was he supposed to do? Pretend this never happened? He wanted to ask Marshall Lee how to proceed, but the vampire didn't seem to be on speaking terms just yet.

Then he said, "Look at the two of us."

Indeed, they were quite a sight. There was Marshall with a hand print on his face, a burn hole in his jeans – and Gumball, disheveled and unable to even fix his pants. Both boys had the girls who wanted them walk out without a backward glance. Marshall Lee grinned sheepishly. "Fix yourself up. I'll take you home."

One thing Gumball appreciated was that Marshall Lee could never stay angry at the prince for long.

With a sigh, Gumball finally managed to button his pants as Marshall left the room. When the vampire returned, Gumball's rumpled clothes were fixed and the vampire found his T shirt. The journey home was quiet and uneventful. At the end of the trip, Marshall lowered Gumball to the prince's bedroom floor and announced, "You owe me, dude. I need a decent wingman this weekend so you can snag me a new girl."

"Do you ever think of anything other than girls?" Gumball asked with a sigh.

"Yes," the vampire pouted. "I think about sleep. And music. And sex."

"Anything else?" Gumball grumbled.

"Yeah - and funny shit you do. Like how you get all red in the face when I dirty words like 'sex.'"

"I do _not_ –"

"Boobies!"

"Now you're just being vulgar!"

"Penis?"

"Stop that!" Gumball stomped his foot for emphasis.

"What? You have one too. No reason to get all flustered."

"_Good night_, Marshall Lee!"

The vampire doubled over laughing as Gumball promptly turned his back on the vampire to hide his reddening face. As if he hadn't blushed enough tonight. Between being accused of loving Marshall Lee, the catastrophe with Laila, and now Marshall's filthy mouth – the pink prince had had enough.

"Hey, dude. I'm just messin' with you."

Gumball ignored the Vampire King. Marshall drifted in front of the prince and smiled. It wasn't his usual smirk, either. It was a true, genuine smile. It showed off his pearly fangs and touched his eyes and brightened the vampire's whole face. Gumball tried to keep glaring, but the expression melted away at the sight of the Vampire King's sweet smile. Marshall Lee was speaking but Gumball couldn't even process the words he said.

Because in that moment, something changed.

When Gumball looked at him and saw that smile, a chill went down his spine. Not because he was afraid, not even because he was cold – but because of how that smile made him feel. It was a strange feeling. Butterflies exploded into existence in his stomach. Swallowing proved difficult as his mouth had gone dry. His pupils dilated and he stared unabashed at the vampire standing just across the threshold.

It was the same feeling he got when Laila pushed him back against the couch, kissing him, unbuttoning his pants, pressing his hand to her breast. The very same feeling of warmth pooling deep, deep in his gut, and all Marshall Lee had done was smile at him.

"You okay, bro?"

"Fine," Gumball squeaked.

"Um, 'kay," Marshall replied, an eyebrow quirked. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes. Of course. Good night, Marshall Lee."

The vampire left, and Gumball collapsed weak-kneed to his bed. Today had been so long. Emotionally and physically, he was exhausted. Prince Gumball just wanted to curl up in his bed and fall into a dreamless slumber, and let all of these thoughts bombard him tomorrow instead. At the moment, he was too confused by the onslaught of feelings to think properly.

_I never asked Marshall Lee's opinion on turning me into a vampire_, Gumball realized with a start.

But it was late and that conversation with Pat seemed a million miles away. With a frustrated grunt, Gumball stripped down out of his clothes into a pair of pajamas and crawled under his covers. Tomorrow, he would think about everything. Tonight, he just wanted sleep.


	14. Imprecise

A/N: It's that time of year when work slows down, so starting next week, I'll have significantly fewer hours. Which is good for you guys, because I'll have plenty of time to update. HURRAH~

Thanks again, everyone, for reading and for your reviews, follows, and faves! Rock on, dudes and dames

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect (c) me; Adventure Time (c) Pen Ward_

* * *

Smiling was making his cheeks sore. Laughter was positively painful. It was so difficult to be charming when all Gumball really wanted to do was have fun. However, fun was difficult to come by when Lady Candi Apple was present.

"The children are so crazy! You wanna know how crazy? They draw with two markers – at once! Yes, it's the boysenberry kids. They take TWO markers in each hand, and draw with them! _At the same time!_ You think their parents would tell them to only use _one_ marker at a time. Oh, teaching youngsters is so very difficult."

"Indeed," Gumball replied. "That's quite interesting."

_About as interesting as watching an apple turn brown_, MoChro stubbornly tapped out. Gumball masked his laughter by coughing; Lady Candi wasn't the brightest bulb and thus took no notice.

"You know what is just dreadful about my job? All of the children. They're so tiring. I truly hate children. If we ever have a child, I'm sending him away to be raised by nannies or monks or something until he turns ten. Then he can go off to boarding school and we won't see him ever again until he turns eighteen! Hah!"

_Just let me take one bite out of her. Just a little one_, MoChro insisted.

"Your horse makes a lot of racket," Lady Candi chided.

"He isn't a horse," Gumball murmured, exasperated.

"Come to think of it, I don't much fancy the idea of pregnancy. Too messy. Too long. I believe we'll have a surrogate. Then SHE can raise our child until we ship him off to boarding school! This is a splendid idea. Shall we talk to Her Highness about the wedding arrangements? I'm sure she can manage them; I'll be far too busy with those snot-nosed brats at school."

"It's summer vacation," Gumball pointed out.

Lady Candi Apple bristled. "Planning out next semester takes lots of preparation, I'll have you know! I have to think about book reports and tests and… just thinking about it makes me weary. Perhaps I'll extend my stay here to relax. You know, to get away from all of my _hard_ work for a bit."

_The more ignorant she sounds, the more I want to take a chunk right out of that ruddy face of hers._

"I'm sorry, my lady, but I'm afraid that won't be possible."

She looked up owlishly as Gumball stood and pinched his nose between his forefinger and thumb.

"What do you mean? Surely you're not having my suite filled the moment I leave."

"No, that's not it. I'm afraid I just can't have you stay in the castle any longer."

"Is it because you've become so infatuated with me that you can hardly stand to be in my presence without wanting to ravage me?" she fluttered her eyelashes at him in what she must have believed to be a flirtatious way, but it only made the Candy Prince cringe.

"Unfortunately, no. I have no intention of marrying you, my lady. We are simply not compatible."

Her sly smile began to falter. "But… Her Highness said…"

"Queen Carmen has made many similar promises to many women. However, the final decision rests with me. I believe you would be better suited to another, Lady Candi. I will not marry you."

The Lady of Fruit Villas was not used to rejection any more than she was used to being spoken to like a child. The more Gumball tried to reason with her, the more she screamed. Eventually, Gumball simply stopped trying to speak to her and the woman's tantrum only grew fiercer. In a flurry of estrogen-laden rage, Lady Candi Apple stormed from the castle using curse words Gumball had never even heard before, shrieking so shrilly that anyone unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity developed sharp headaches.

Gumball stepped away from the veranda with MoChro following alongside him. The pink prince frowned as he used a handkerchief to wipe off the immense amount of strawberry jam that the lady had thrown at him as the royal pair walked about the castle.

_So she makes… twelve? Thirteen?_

"Sixteen," Gumball grimaced. "And there are sure to be more. I thought I'd seen the worst when Countess Fluffella came, but Lady Candi Apple takes the cake."

_Tell the queen you want to pick the next suitor._

"You know she won't let me, MoChro," the prince sighed. "She refuses every time I ask. She seems to think I'm incapable of choosing someone good enough for her. She doesn't trust my judgment."

"You've done nothing to prove that I should, either."

Gumball's step faltered at the sound of her familiar voice. MoChro inclined his head respectfully as Queen Carmen herself turned down the hallway and shot a venomous look at her prince.

"Could you please explain to me why Lady Candi Apple just caused half the castle to go deaf on her way to her carriage?" the queen snapped.

Gumball sighed. "She didn't take kindly to the fact that I have no interest in marrying her."

"You had the audacity to say that to her face?"

"She was _dreadful_, Mother," the prince implored her. "MoChro can even tell you. She's self-absorbed, lazy –"

"She comes from a powerful family that could have ensured physical and financial protection for the Kingdom."

"There's more to marriage than that. She refused to even carry a child on her own. There is no way she would ever succeed you as queen."

"She offered you her hand, and you spat in her face. The Fruit Villas won't soon forget that."

Gumball winced. "I didn't know how to let her down easily. I tried to be polite, but she—"

"I know very well how she must have reacted," Queen Carmen said, glancing down at the strawberry jam decorating the prince's jacket. "I'm not angry because you refused her, I'm angry because of _how_ you refused her. How are your vassals ever going to respect you if you treat them this way?"

The prince fell silent. He resumed idly wiping off his shirt as the queen plowed on, "Your titles are worth less than dirt if you don't have a single loyal vassal. Continue treating them this way, and they will destroy you."

They'd had this conversation before when Countess Fluffella left in tears, and again when Duchess Hostess threatened to secede from the Candy Kingdom. Each time Gumball refused them, and each time the Queen grew more frustrated.

"Then why don't you allow me to choose the next suitor? If you allow me to meet and choose someone I truly approve of, there won't be any of disasters like this in the future."

The queen opened her mouth to argue, but cut herself short. She looked into her son's desperate eyes and found that she could not refuse this request. He wanted to be happy, just as she did when she married the King. She let out a long, slow sigh, and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead. (Inwardly, she was shocked that she hardly had to bend over anymore; he'd grown so tall.)

"You have one year."

The prince blinked, confused.

"A year from today. By that time, if you haven't chosen an appropriate suitor that you wish to marry, then I will chose one for you, and you _will_ marry the girl I pick. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Queen Carmen patted him gently on the shoulder and passed by him on her way back to her chambers. Meanwhile, Gumball groaned in agony. MoChro nudged him with his snout and asked, _What's wrong?_

"What have I done?" Gumball moaned.

_Isn't this what you wanted?_

"Yes, but… but I'm terrible with girls!"

* * *

Marshall Lee found little in life more satisfying than music. He could play until his fingers fell off and drown himself in the sweet rhythms of his own creation. Sometimes he'd play with a band for a while, but mostly, he liked to play alone. He strummed his bass and sang under his breath, letting the sound wash over him and leaving him feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

"Marshall, I have a big problem!"

The vampire cringed as the flow of his music was interrupted, and he slowly lowered his bass.

"You're about to have a bigger one if you don't give me a good explanation in the next ten seconds."

"Motherletmepicksomeonetomarr ybutIdontknowanyonewhowouldw antomarrymeandifIdontpicksom eonesoonshe—"

"Whoa, whoa," Marshall insisted, holding a hand up for emphasis. "Back it up. What?"

"Mother's letting me pick my own spouse," Gumball said.

"Uh. Isn't that good?"

"The stipulation is, if I don't choose someone suitable in the next year, she's going to make the final decision and force my hand."

The vampire stared. "So what? A year is a long time. Just pick someone."

Gumball was wringing his hands as he paced about the vampire's living room. "That's just it! I don't know the first thing about finding girls, or dating, or anything like that! I won't find anyone I like, and then Mother will pick someone horrendous, and I'll be stuck with a miserable queen for the rest of my life and—"

"Listen, bro," Marshall interjected. "You need to calm down."

"How can you expect me to calm down at a time like this?" Gumball wailed as he pulled at his hair.

"Because I'm going to teach you how to talk to girls," the vampire said with a mischievous smirk.

Gumball did not look pleased. "Remember what happened last time you tried that? With Laila?"

Marshall waved his hand dismissively. "That was a fluke. This time, I'm actually gonna teach you instead of throwing you to the sharks."

Gumball stopped pacing long enough to look over at the vampire critically. Well, Marshall Lee did get more tail than anyone else in Ooo that the prince knew of. If anyone knew how to make a woman swoon, it was the Vampire King. It was largely in part because of his reputation and his suave approach to picking up women, but Gumball knew it was also because of Marshall Lee's appearance. His typical devil-may-care look seemed to rope girls in rather than repel them, which was still a strange concept to Gumball. Didn't women want a man that looked very well put together and professional? The prince needed only to truly look at Marshall Lee to know the answer.

The Vampire King had good looks and charm unparalleled by any creature Gumball had met. His toned muscles, sly grin, eyes that swallowed you up and made you feel as if you were melting… They made it so that his ripped jeans and worn out shoes meant little. It was hard to notice his attire when one smoldering gaze set Gumball's heart pounding. The prince stopped himself firmly and shook his head to clear it. Wait a moment, it was supposed to be _women_ who were falling over themselves to get to Marshall; Gumball was just the vampire's friend.

But the prince remembered how that one smile set his mood soaring and sent tingles down his back. And now here he was, ogling his best friend. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Thankfully, Marshall Lee didn't seem to notice Gumball's discomfort. He set aside his axe bass on its stand and stretched his limbs out with a groan.

"Let's start right now. We've got a lot of work to do," the vampire grinned.

-

They spent the whole night putting together a new wardrobe for the prince. Gumball was displeased, but if it worked for Marshall, maybe it would work for him, too. He had no better options, and thus subjected himself to dressing in a way that made him look – in his opinion – homeless.

"I look ridiculous, Marshall," Gumball sighed.

"You look normal. Shut up and look at your selection."

It was the following afternoon; Marshall had, out of the kindness of his heart, stayed up during the daylight hours and armed himself with a pair of long gloves and an umbrella to protect himself from the sun. Normally he would have slept, but he wanted to walk the prince through everything first. They stood in the Candy Kingdom's marketplace watching people bustle about.

"What selection?"

Marshall Lee rolled his eyes. "The chicks. Look around. Find one you like. Start schmoozing."

"I thought you said you _weren't_ throwing me to the sharks this time," Gumball pouted.

"Calm down, bro, I'm gonna help you. How 'bout that one?"

Before Gumball could approve, the vampire was shoving him towards a girl made of taffy who was perusing a selection of makeup at a vendor. The prince gulped and tried to think of how to begin, but Marshall gave him one final shove until Gumball bumped right into her. She looked up with a little gasp, and the prince quickly yelped, "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," she replied in her soft voice before returning to the makeup on display.

Gumball floundered. What was he to do now? She didn't seem to have any particular interest in him, and it would just be awkward to ask for her name right away. This would be the time for small talk, but Gumball had no idea how to make casual conversation with a commoner. Marshall watched as the prince failed to proceed, and then stepped forth himself. He leaned over the makeup display on the other side of the taffy girl and appeared to be truly interested. After a few moments, when the girl picked up a pink lip gloss, Marshall Lee glanced up and smiled.

"That's a pretty color. It matches your complexion nicely."

Startled, the taffy girl looked up and her face flushed. "Oh, th-thank you."

He reached over to pick up a different shade and looked it over. "Hmmm… do you think this would match with a really pale skin tone?"

The taffy girl looked over and shook her head. "Not quite. You'd want to go for something a little more subtle."

Marshall ruffled his hair with a sheepish chuckle. "Ahh, okay. I'm not really good with this stuff. See, my kid sister wanted me to get her a bunch of makeup for her birthday, but I don't know my way around this stuff at all. Think you could give me a hand?"

Gumball's jaw dropped. It took him seconds, if not minutes, for the girl to smile and blush and giggle, all the while helping the vampire out with this make believe task. How was it that this seemed easier than breathing for Marshall Lee and yet Gumball couldn't even choke out a "hello"?

Fifteen minutes later, Marshall Lee walked away with a little bag full of makeup and the taffy girl skipped off with his number. Once she was gone, the vampire returned all of the makeup he'd just bought and rejoined the prince who was still thunderstruck.

"So now that you've tried, failed, and watched the master work his magic, you wanna give it another shot?"

Gumball stared. "How did you even…?"

"It's all about being confident. If you know you're radical, she'll know it. And she'll WANT it."

"I don't really think—"

"See that girl looking through her backpack?"

"That's a male."

"Oh. Whoops. It's hard to tell with candy people sometimes. How about that one that just walked into the café alone?"

Gumball was shoved along until he entered the café himself and he looked around for the buttercream girl who was sitting alone at a booth happily picking apart a sandwich. Marshall shot the prince a stern look, and Gumball sighed as he inched forward until he stood beside the table. He stared at her awkwardly for several seconds before he realized how strange it must seem for him to be standing just inches away from her. She looked up mid-bite and gave him a forced smile. Gumball returned it. His best bet now was to mimic Marshall. What had the vampire done before with the taffy girl?

"That matches your complexion nicely."

The buttercream girl glanced from her sandwich up to the prince and glared. "Excuse me?"

Gumball flushed. No, that was wrong. "I-I… I meant the, uh, color of the booth, not your food. It brings out the subtle hues in your sclera."

"In my _what?_"

Marshall Lee audibly smacked his forehead from somewhere behind the prince. Gumball struggled to save the conversation.

"M-May I sit down?"

"No," she snapped.

Gumball turned to walk away, stopped mid-step, and took a shuddering breath before turning around and sitting down on the bench across from her. She groaned.

"I'm going to call the manager."

"That sandwich looks delicious. What's in it?"

"Turkey and mayo. What's it to you?"

"I see! Simple yet scrumptious. Do you know that just a tablespoon of mayonnaise has 114 calories? Assuming there are at least two tablespoons, it's up to 228, and the sandwich is on white bread, which is –"

"Are you trying to call me fat or something?" the buttercream girl yelled.

"Of course not!" the prince spluttered, "I was merely informing you of the high caloric content of your food!"

Gumball narrowly dodged as the remainder of the sandwich was thrown at him across the table. When he ducked, the sandwich hit another patron square in the face. He, in turn, threw his pudding at the buttercream girl, splashing two young lovebirds at an adjacent table in the process. A food fight of epic proportions ensued just as Gumball scrambled from the establishment. Marshall Lee was already waiting just outside of the café for him. The vampire crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

"That. Was. Pathetic."

"Get me out of here," the prince said miserably.

As much as Gumball loathed the thought of continuing after that disaster, Marshall pushed him to try again. And again. And again. No matter how many times Gumball made an attempt, no matter the scenario, the pickup lines used, the confidence he exuded, the prince couldn't flirt. That night, the prince and Marshall Lee returned to the vampire's house defeated. Gumball slumped over on the vampire's bed as he peeled off the sweatshirt Marshall let him borrow.

"I'm never going to find a girl, let alone a princess or anyone else of noble birth," Gumball groaned.

Marshall kicked off his shoes and plopped down next to Gumball. "Don't be such a downer. You've still got 364 days to go."

"Yes, and they're all going to be just like today. Girls just aren't attracted to me. And on the off chance that they are, like Laila, I mess something up and scare them away." The prince buried his face in his hands and tried not to imagine how miserable his marriage would be to his mother's choice.

Marshall sighed and explained, "Try a different approach, then. Don't try to do what I do, just try to be yourself."

The prince let out a muffled laugh. "Oh, please. I'll repel every female within a hundred miles."

"Bullcrap. Listen, dude. You've just gotta find what works for you. What feels most comfortable. For me, it's being that mysterious, super sexy bad boy ever girl's mum told them to stay away from. That's my angle. For you, uh… You don't really come off as that type of guy. You're more like the mama's boy who wants to stay home and make cookies and do housework while your wife goes out to work everyday."

Gumball wanted to object, but he admitted, "I do enjoy making cookies. And cleaning. And I do love my mother quite a lot."

"See? Mama's boy. That's your angle. Work it, bro, and you'll have the ladies crawling over each other to get to you."

The prince smiled and let out a half-hearted laugh. "You could flirt from any angle in the world and you would still attract any girl you chose."

Marshall crinkled up his nose. "Nuh-uh! Flirting any other way would just feel bizarre. Like, watch, I'll try doing it your way."

The vampire floated over to his dresser and picked up a comb to fix his hair. He sat back down next to Gumball with his hands folded in his lap and a look of wide-eyed innocence plastered on his face.

"My name is Marshall. It's nice to meet you, miss. My parents would like to have you over for dinner tonight, I know they would just love you."

"Stop that, it's weird!" the prince laughed.

Marshall ruffled his own hair and grinned. "See? Totally unnatural. Girls can see when you're trying to be something you're not. On the other hand, if I was being myself…"

The vampire caught the prince off guard. He threw an arm over Gumball's shoulder and pulled him close, just inches from his face, and _oh glob that grin._ Marshall's fangs shone brightly in the half-light, and there was something playful and yet so sinister about it that the prince was bereft of words. Gumball froze entirely, unsure of what was happening. Marshall's pupils dilated and he murmured in a husky tone that made him tingly all over, "You smell like strawberries."

Gumball gulped past the lump in his throat and stammered, "Th-that's probably from… some of the jam Lady Candi threw this morning…"

"Mmm," Marshall leaned closer. "Need some help… cleaning it up?"

The vampire's long, forked tongue snaked out and flicked over the prince's cheek. Gumball shivered, but he wasn't sure if it was from mild disgust, or… something else.

His face was flushed and he didn't dare to breathe. All he could do was sit there and stare wide-eyed at the vampire and wonder – or maybe even _hope_ – that Marshall would taste whatever strawberry residue remained on his chest. And then…

and then what?

What would happen afterwards? What would that lead to? Gumball wanted to know, but he was scared to know, but-

Marshall Lee sat back and laughed. Gumball took the moment to collect himself, trying to figure out what on earth had just come over him.

"You're my witness! I'm irresistible," the vampire proclaimed, striking a dramatic pose. The prince chuckled weakly and firmly reminded himself, _it was just to prove a point. Marshall was just showing me his 'angle.' That's all. He wasn't really trying to seduce me, so there's no reason why I should feel so… er… so…_

"So, you wanna try this again tomorrow?" Marshall asked. "After we both sleep, obviously. I'm beat."

For a wild moment, Gumball misunderstood. He thought Marshall meant the moment they shared as the vampire leaned in close, spoke so seductively, gently licked his cheek, made the prince's pulse _race_-

And then reality set it. Of course that's not what Marshall meant. He was talking about flirting with girls. Gumball quickly stood up and nodded. "Yes, of course. That sounds wonderful. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Good bye, Marshall."

"Dude, don't you want me to give you a lift?" the vampire asked.

"Oh, no. No, I'll be fine. I'll just walk."

"Bro. It's like, a ten minute flight for me. Like a zillion hour walk for you. I'm taking you home."

The prince wasn't quite in a position to fight over the issue. When he tried to protest one final time, the vampire scooped up the prince and flew him home. That night, Marshall seemed confused about the prince's awkward goodbyes, and Gumball tucked himself in even though he remained awake for hours after. When he finally did sleep, he was filled with dreams of Marshall Lee.


	15. Imblaze

A/N: Keep in mind as you read this chapter that I'm not a song writer, so please forgive the piece of shite lyrics ^^; The reason this chap is so late is because I spent about 3 solid days rewriting this and going "I'M GONNA POST IT" "no fuck I need to write something else" "SCREW IT, POSTING IT" etc. Still not entirely happy about it, but HERE GOES NOTHING~

(if anyone needs me, I'll be hunkering down in my fallout shelter while writing the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect (c) me; Adventure Time (c) Pen Ward_

* * *

Two months came and went. In that time, Gumball had only gotten slightly better at talking to the opposite sex, and gotten nowhere at all as far as finding the right wife was concerned. Despite all of Marshall's help, Gumball was hopeless. The vampire never failed at pulling the prince to his feet every time he slipped up, but Gumball was getting quite tired of failing so spectacularly. He wished talking to women was as simple as talking to Marshall Lee. And for that matter, that _everything_ was as simple as it was with Marshall Lee.

When Gumball said this to Lord Monochromicorn, his oldest friend snorted, _Then why don't you just marry the vampire?_ The prince knew this was tongue-in-cheek, but he couldn't help but to blush at the thought. MoChro took note of it and quickly changed the subject although the comment nagged at the back of the prince's thoughts long afterward.

It was impossible. He was obligated to marry a woman of noble birth to provide his line with future heirs to succeed him as king. With the vampire, this wasn't possible. Marshall was male, he was undead, and most importantly, he was Gumball's friend. Marshall Lee the Vampire King would never think of Gumball as a lover, no matter how many dreams the prince had of him.

At the thought of his dreams, Gumball squirmed as he felt uncomfortably hot all over. Sometimes he didn't even remember the dreams, but he knew what they were about. It was the same kind of dream. Marshall was always inexplicably there, creeping into his bedroom or some secluded venue – where it was made no difference. It was what they _did_ in these dreams that made Gumball so uncomfortable. At the thought of the vampire's hands touching his –

No, he mustn't think of this now. It was awkward enough that he had these dreams to begin with; to recount them while he was actually with Marshall Lee would be even worse.

Gumball sat alone on the windless hilltop. It had become a favorite spot of theirs, perfect for stargazing. But tonight as the sun set over the Verdant Plains, they hadn't come for the stars.

The prince looked up at the sky and watched as the pink and orange splashes of color swirled in the clouds. Soon they would change to purples and blues, and then night would be upon them. For the time being, the prince distracted himself with the beautiful sight to keep his mind from straying to peculiar dreams. When the light started to fade, he turned on his lantern and turned his attention to the keyboard spread across his lap. He toyed with the settings and struck a few keys as he waited for the last of the sunlight to vanish on the horizon.

Sure enough, as soon as all traces of it were gone, the prince heard a voice behind him.

"How was your date?"

"It could have been worse," Gumball admitted.

Marshall laughed as he floated into view. "What'd you do this time?"

The prince sighed. "Not enough, clearly. I asked her if she'd like to get together again soon."

"And?"

"She laughed at me."

The vampire cringed. "Harsh. Better luck next time."

Gumball fingered a few keys in disharmony before he answered. "Maybe there won't be a next time."

Marshall touched down and scratched his head. "What are you talking about?"

The prince, frustrated even with his ability to play tonight, put his keyboard aside and hugged his knees to his chest. "Maybe I… I'll just stop trying. I'm obviously no good at this. After two solid months, I should have had at least one successful date. I haven't had a single one yet despite how hard I try. No matter what I do, I just… I can't do it. I might as well just save myself the embarrassment of failing again and let Mother pick my wife after all."

"Don't give up just yet. You've still got ten months."

"Ten months that will be just like the last two. I'm tired of being rejected, Marshall."

"Since when are you such a downer?"

"I'm being realistic."

Marshall reached over and dope slapped the prince. "Cut that out. It's pissing me off."

Before Gumball could express his annoyance, Marshall sat down back to back with the prince and said, "Pick up your keyboard. Play something to keep your mind off this heavy junk."

Grumbling all the while, Gumball did as the vampire said. He hoisted the keyboard back into his lap and grumpily started with a few triads. Meanwhile, Marshall Lee pulled up his axe bass and strummed along to his heart's content. As annoyed as Gumball was, he had to admit that when Marshall began to play, there were few things that he liked better than to feel the deep vibrations of the bass in tandem with his heart. It struck Gumball how amateurish he must have sounded when compared to Marshall Lee.

"I'm not very good, am I?" Gumball sighed.

Marshall paused. "It doesn't matter whether or not you're good."

Gumball frowned. "Of course it does. I can't perform at a recital or a concert if I play poorly."

The vampire ran his thumb over the dull axe blade idly. "Gumball, that's not what music is for. You don't play an instrument to sound good for other people."

Confused, the prince stared down at his keyboard and wondered at the statement. "Then what's the point? What is the purpose of music beyond entertainment?"

A small smile lifted Marshall's lips as he began to play once more. Gumball leaned back to listen – and was entirely dumbfounded.

Marshall Lee was _singing_.

_Maybe someday you'll know  
It's about letting the sound fill you up  
Body and soul, losin' control,  
Flowing out, burstin' from the top_

You wanna know - what's the point?  
Well, kid, I suppose it's to say all those stupid things.  
What you wanna say but ain't got words for  
It's for the release that the rhythm brings

Don't play to just to impress, you won't sway me  
No-oh, not until you play from inside,  
Not until I hear that candied heart  
A sound that's all you, bona fide

Look deep within  
Forget what you think you know  
Put your hands to the keys, breathe,  
And you'll feel the sound of your soul  
  
In that moment, something inside of him changed.

His eyes had welled up. Black and white keys swam before his eyes in the lantern light. Something deep within was awakening. Marshall's words, his velvety voice. The melody. The vibrations of his bass. The pulsing of Gumball's own heart. Something so much deeper than anything he'd ever experienced had blossomed in the prince's chest. Breathing was difficult because his heart felt like it had swelled up to twice its normal size. He was awake. He was alive, more than he'd ever been. To think that Marshall Lee, the goofball lay-about practical joker, could be so _deep_ – Gumball was moved beyond words.

And yet he wasn't silenced. He was moved to _music_.

He began to play once again. Not every note was perfect. But each one felt right. Gumball wanted to tell Marshall Lee everything he was feeling. This newfound emotion was so profound; it couldn't stay locked up inside. He had to free it, share it, _feel_ it. His fingers moved with confidence to each key, his chest swelling with this unearthed passion. How long had this wonderful experience been dormant? How could the prince have been so blind to the beauty of music? Before, music was rather like a pretty ornament; something that required skill and when it was good, the creator was to be admired. But this was something different. This was music with heart. With a soul of its own. It was different than the stuffy songs he'd heard and the repetitious concerts he'd sat through. This was beautiful.

Marshall Lee smiled at the sound. "You feel it, don't you?"

Gumball whispered, "I feel it."

The Candy Prince played and played, and Marshall never once interrupted. The moon was shining brightly over their heads when Gumball's cramped fingers finally begged for rest. He pushed the keyboard off of his lap and gently lowered it to the ground beside him. He pressed his back against Marshall's, staring at the heavens above. For a while, they simply sat back to back, enjoying each other's company and looking up at the stars.

A comfortable silence fell over them, but inside, Gumball's thoughts were racing. Marshall Lee sang to him for the first time ever. Sure, he'd listened to the vampire sing before, but never _to him_. Gumball's thoughts were of his beautiful voice and profound emotions the prince didn't even know Marshall Lee had. His heart was jumping out of his chest at the thought of Marshall being so passionate about something, and his silly thoughts turned to the question: could Marshall Lee be just as passionate about another person? And again, memories of his dreams filled the prince's mind. He began to wonder…

Marshall Lee had just opened up and showed Gumball a side of him that the prince wasn't aware existed. If the vampire had willingly shared this deep, emotional side of himself with the prince… did he feel something more than friendship for Gumball? Was he just jumping to conclusions, or was Marshall truly sharing a piece of his heart with Gumball?

He was confident he knew the answer.

Gumball swallowed. "Marshall?"

"Yeah?"

"What if you can't say what you feel with words _or_ with music?"

The vampire grinned. "You never stop asking questions."

As thought after memory after feeling filled him up, Gumball felt himself reaching a bursting point. If he didn't express any of this soon, he was going to explode. Even his voice shook as he asked, "Can I show you what I feel?"

Marshall didn't respond at first. He was confused by the question. What did the prince mean by that? Gumball got up and crawled across the grass until he was in front of Marshall Lee. The vampire looked up at him, curious, when Gumball knelt down between Marshall's legs. At such a close proximity, Marshall was taken aback by how lovely Gumball's violet eyes were. Momentarily entranced, the vampire remained silent. He should have said something. He should have _done_ something. But he was so lost by the sight of his little prince's rosy cheeks and his eyes glittering like gems that he didn't do anything at all when Gumball closed his eyes, leaned in -

and kissed him.

It was such a simple little thing. Gumball, in his nervousness, missed and ended up kissing the vampire somewhere between his lips and his chin. It was soft and swift and barely lasted a second. And yet when it happened, Marshall was stunned to the point where he thought he might never speak again. Gumball's inaccuracy seemed to bother him. He blushed, looking up at the vampire through long eyelashes as he asked, "Can I try again?"

Yes. No. Wait. Slow down. Marshall wasn't even sure what he wanted. That little kiss, that solitary action, seemed to have jerked out the power cord to his brain. Gumball, without waiting for a verbal response, returned once more. This time, he found his target. Once, twice, three times, he left soft, chaste kisses on the vampire's lips. With every awkward movement, every trembling touch, the prince's inexperience shone like a beacon. Gumball pulled back for a moment, clearly distressed by Marshall's lack of activity.

"I'm doing it wrong, aren't I?"

Another kiss touched Marshall's lower lip, and a chill went through him as he felt the prince's soft tongue ghost against him. Gumball wasn't even remotely good at this, but he was trying so hard. Part of Marshall wanted to console him, another part wanted to show him what a _real_ kiss was like. And yet another part wanted to run away. Instinct overtook rationality; Marshall closed his eyes as he tilted his head for a better angle and captured the prince's lips in his own. His forked tongue snaked past the prince's lips, surprising the boy, and Marshall Lee grew lightheaded from the taste. Sweet as sugar, savory as flesh, and gloriously _alive_. Gumball was delicious. He smelled the streams of blood flowing just under the prince's skin and wondered if it would taste even better. Intoxicated by the thought, Marshall Lee brought his lips down to the prince's throat and inhaled. With his heart hammering so rapidly, Gumball's blood was coursing swiftly through his veins, and it only smelled even more delectable. He was shaking himself as he licked at the prince's jugular. He wanted to taste the prince's blood so badly. To sink his fangs into the tender flesh and find the sweet spring beneath it and find out whether or not his blood tasted like sugar. Bloodlust was not something Marshall Lee frequently experienced. After several centuries of sustaining himself almost solely on shades of red, resisting blood was simple. But now…

Now he'd never wanted to feast so badly.

And yet, it went beyond that. There were more feelings than just his instincts as a vampire. He felt something so human, yet so animalistic. He wanted to satiate his desires, and not just his thirst for blood. Marshall wanted to pull the prince in, savor every flavor he had to offer, feel every contour of his body, reap his innocence and bask in the joy of being the one to do it.

These thoughts frightened him. How long had they been dormant? No, no, no. They shouldn't have even existed. Gumball was his chum. His pal. His _bro_. Gumball looked up to Marshall like an older brother… so how did brotherly love turn into this? It was wrong. Gumball was a fifteen year old boy; Marshall was ancient and undead. They were incompatible in every way. So why did the kiss awaken these feelings inside of him?

His mouth opened, but he couldn't speak. Gumball had tears in his eyes. He threw his arms around the vampire and held him in a tight, suffocating embrace. "Say something. Anything. Please. Did I do something wrong?"

What was he supposed to say? Marshall, for the first time in decades – if not centuries – was truly afraid. Gumball had only been in the vampire's life for a few short years, and yet the prince had come to mean so much to him. The urge to claim the prince, body and mind, was overwhelming and it was a terrifying thought that Marshall might not be able to fight off these desires. Gumball was so sweet and innocent. Should Marshall act upon his desires, he would only corrupt the prince to the point of no return and everything he loved about Gumball might disappear.

Wait. Love? No. Now it was too much. He was treading on dangerous ground and he had to get out. To clear his head. To think. There were so many things Marshall wanted to say. But he couldn't. Everything would change now. This kiss he'd so ignorantly allowed to happen had just ruined their friendship. They were supposed to be best friends forever. Everything was supposed to be simple and easy and carefree. There wasn't supposed to be any kissing or touching or sexual thoughts. Marshall didn't know what to do. He was angry and confused and so many other things. He wanted to hug Gumball. He wanted to punch the prince right in the face. He wanted to shove him to the ground and drain every ounce of his sweet smelling blood while he fucked the prince senseless.

He wanted to be alone.

In a swift motion, he shoved Gumball away and shot up into the air. Dazed, the prince looked up with such pain in his eyes that Marshall couldn't even stand to look at him. He turned away even as Gumball called out to him.

"Marshall, wait! I'm sorry! Please don't go!"

He was so childlike. So hurt. Every word felt like a stab in the chest.

"You idiot," was all Marshall could say.

He couldn't look back. It was for the prince's own good. Gumball was too precious. The prince who relied on him, trusted him, befriended him – Marshall Lee had forsaken that the moment he allowed the prince to kiss him. To unearth something so dangerous within him – the Marshall couldn't forgive him.

In that moment, their perfect friendship had been shattered beyond repair.


	16. Immense

A/N: I feel like I'm apologizing a lot these days, and at the risk of turning this into a huge bitchfest, I feel the need to explain. Long story short, I've spent $430 in vet bills in the last week, on top of working a straight 12 hr (partially unpaid) shift after a massive shitstorm over the weekend. I'm anticipating spending at least another hundred at the vet in the next week or two and what little free time I have is going to be spent running back and forth to work/vet and force-feeding medication to my baby :( It's been stressful.

(On top of that, I was initially hesitant to post this because I realized after the last chapter that (im)Perfect was less than 200 words away from being considered a "novel" according to its length. As someone who has failed NaNoWriMo four consecutive times, this was an intimidating prospect. For some strange nonsensical reason. I don't know. Don't mind me, I'm sleep deprived lulz)

SO! To those of you actually reading this silly babbling, you'll understand I do in fact need money. **Fanfic commissions are officially open.** PM me if you're interested. There are details of what I will and won't write on my profile so please check that out.

**TL;DR: I'm whiny, exotic vets are expensive, commission me so I can afford pet's antibiotics plz ;-;**

Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

* * *

"MoChro? Can you keep a secret?"

_Of course. We're friends. That's what I'm here for_.

"It's more important than ever this time. I need you to promise you won't tell _anyone_. Especially not Mother."

_Why are you crying? What's been going on?_

"I've done something… terrible."

_Prince, you could never do something terrible._

"This time I have."

_Come here. Talk to me._

"It's… It's about Marshall Lee."

_What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?_

"He would _never_ hurt me. I… I think I was the one… I hurt _him_."

And so Gumball poured his heart out to the only friend he seemed to have left. Lord Monochromicorn listened in silence as the prince told him everything from the moment he arrived on the hilltop to the moment when he trudged along home with his keyboard left behind. He admitted everything to the trusted steed, everything about sneaking out at night to the very instant Gumball realized he felt something for Marshall Lee that went beyond the point of friendship. He hiccupped and sobbed until it seemed he'd exhausted every tear in his body, and then cried even more. It was not becoming of a prince to cry, but what else was he to do? The person who meant more to him than the world had just turned his back on him. When he was finished, he lapsed into tear filled silence, his face buried in MoChro's mane. It was a long while before he answered.

_You won't want to hear this._

"Say it anyway."

_Perhaps this is for the best._

Gumball jerked up and stared at Lord Monochromicorn incredulously. MoChro brushed his snout against the prince's damp cheek to dry away the tears.

_Whatever your feelings for the vampire are, you could never be together. You are a prince, Gumball. You must continue your line with a lady of noble birth by marriage. It's your responsibility._

"I know all of that," the prince sighed. "But I don't want to marry some stupid princess. I just want to be with Marshall Lee."

_Gumball. Like it or not, your duty to your kingdom and your family is more important than what you want as an individual. This may sound harsh, but that is your fate. You are all this kingdom has. You must think realistically._

Gumball was not a violent person. Even if he was not always calm, he was a pacifist. To even raise his voice in anger was a rare occurrence. But like before, the urge to act before he exploded overtook every shred of sense he had. Pacing like a caged animal, he found himself standing next to his bedside table. Without pausing to think sensibly, he snatched the delicate porcelain lamp perched upon it and flung it at the opposite wall with all the force he could muster. The lamp shattered into a thousand pieces and the prince let out a furious snarl.

"Then I don't want to be a prince! I'm sick of all of the rules and standards! I'm sick of the ignorant peasants I'm supposed to protect. I will never find a noble woman who has even a thimble full of sense. I will never be the king my father was. Someone else should inherit the throne. Mother should just have another child. Why doesn't she do that? It would make life easier for all of us!"

The prince was panting from all of the shouting he'd done, and sat down shaking and lightheaded. MoChro slowly said, _Gumball… The queen… She can't have another child._

"Of course she can. Every king's DNA is preserved. She can have a legitimate child and disinherit me."

MoChro was hesitant to respond. _You don't understand. Queen Carmen physically can't give birth._

"Why not? In vitro fertilization has always worked with the commons. Genetically she is no different."

_I don't think I'm allowed to tell you why._

At that, Gumball bristled. He drew himself up to full height and turned to face his steed fully.

"And why is that?"

_I haven't been given leave to disclose that information._

"_Given leave? _By whom?"

_The queen_.

"Don't be ridiculous. Whatever Mother has told you, you can tell me."

And yet, MoChro did not reply. Gumball waited, arms crossed over his chest, and yet his friend did not answer. The prince had half a mind to take the subject up with the queen, but at that time, Gumball couldn't contain himself. What did it matter? He simply didn't care. With a snarl of frustration, the prince stormed out of the room and slammed his door on MoChro.

"So much for being friends," he snapped under his breath.

Gumball was so upset and frustrated and angry and tired. He wanted to sleep and yet his constant rush of nervous energy prevented him from sleeping. He wanted to curl up and cry, to talk to someone, to eat cupcakes and ice cream until he filled the gaping hole in his chest.

More than anything, he wanted to be with Marshall Lee.

That was when he decided. He changed his stride mid-step, nearly causing the Peppermint Maid to smash into him, and walked towards the High Tower. Once there, he filled his lungs, and cried out, "_MORROW!_"

Within moments, a screech sounded in reply. A gust of air buffeted him, and the prince had to shield his eyes as the gale assailed him. When he looked up, the giant falcon made a crooning noise and dipped his head to allow the prince access. Gumball clambered onto the huge bird's back and grasped the soft feathers on its neck.

"Take me to the Endless Wood."

* * *

Something had to be done. What exactly that was, Gumball wasn't sure. But the fact of the matter was, sitting idly by at home and fuming about the unfairness of the world would not get him any closer to salvaging his relationship with the vampire. He had to start somewhere, even if he didn't know where to begin.

He stood at Marshall Lee's door and looked around the trash-strewn ground. Normally it was much neater, but there were crushed beer cans, a broken stereo, and a few chairs tipped over on the grass surrounding the vampire's home. The prince side stepped the debris to reach the door and knocked on it tentatively. Perhaps Marshall Lee wasn't home… but it was the middle of the day, and he should have been asleep by now. The meek side of him wanted to put off this meeting with the excuse that Marshall would be grouchy when woken from his slumber, but that's all it was: an excuse. The vampire was not likely to be in a good mood whether Gumball woke him up or not, and besides, if the prince left now, he might not find the courage to return later.

It had to be done.

After several minutes of standing on the doormat, it was clear the vampire couldn't hear or was simply ignoring him. Gumball assumed it was the latter. For someone who was centuries old, Marshall Lee could be quite childish.

Irritated, Gumball opened the door despite the breach of courtesy and called inside, "Marshall Lee?"

A moment's pause. No reply.

_Breathe._ He stepped inside and glanced around the kitchen. His eyes were drawn to a stark red stain on the linoleum amid a pile of shattered glass. His hair stood on end just looking at it. There was no doubt that it was blood. He hoped that the glass was the result of a shattered cup . His initial irritation was turning into a sick, nervous feeling in his stomach.

"Marshall, it's me," he called.

Still, no answer.

He was a light sleeper. Marshall surely heard him by now. Even if he'd chosen not to acknowledge the prince, he should have made some sort of noise. Grunting, tossing in bed, grabbing a pillow to shove over his ear to drown out the prince's voice. And yet, he heard nothing at all.

It was the middle of the day. Marshall had to be home. But what if he wasn't? What if he was stuck outside during the daylight, what if he was in trouble, what if he was suffering or hurt or _dying_

If only he could outrun his thoughts. Gumball scrambled across the kitchen and darted into the living room to reach the staircase that would lead him to the vampire's bedroom. But he didn't even have to go that far. He ground to a halt as soon as he crossed into the living room as he caught sight of a prone figure sprawled across the couch.

Marshall Lee, still dressed in his previous day's clothes, was unconscious on his own sofa. At first, it wasn't that concerning of an image. But something was wrong. He'd started buttoning his shirt, but started on the wrong button, leaving it crooked. He was flushed – how could someone without a pulse be _flushed?_ In a normal person, this would have been far less serious. But in Marshall… this was strange.

That's when Gumball realized the strangest thing of all: the dark red stains covering the front of his shirt.

Tripping over himself in his haste, Gumball bolted to his side and inspected the vampire quickly, but could see no injuries. He looked up at Marshall, whose eyes were shut, and grabbed him by the shoulders, resisting the urge to violently shake him with every fiber of his being.

"Marshall! Wake up!"

The spasm of pain that appeared on the vampire's face was the first oddly comforting thing that Gumball had ever seen. At least he wasn't dead.

"Get up! _Now!_"

The vampire's eyelids flicked open for a split second before his face twisted in agony and he let out a hoarse groan. Gumball froze in his panic. He was clearly in pain. But the prince could see no injuries. Was this something internal? Was it some sort of vampiric disease? What was he supposed to _do?_

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "Are you sick or hurt?"

The prince flicked on the lamp to better see the vampire in the dim room only to hear Marshall yelp angrily, "Off! Turn it off!"

Baffled, the prince did as he was told. Marshall pressed his palms over his eyes and groaned. "My fucking head…"

Gumball grabbed Marshall's wrists and pulled his hands awa. Quietly, he asked, "What happened?"

Marshall blinked blearily at the candy prince, then after registering that he was really there, frowned and rolled over on the couch so that his back faced him.

"Go away."

Apparently his life was not in danger after all.

"No."

"Why the hell are you here?"

"You haven't spoken to me in two weeks."

"I don't see why we should break that streak now."

"Because you're important to me, Marshall!"

"I thought I told you to go away."

"Throwing a tantrum like a child won't get you anywhere."

"Shut up, Gumwad."_  
_  
Fury filled Gumball's chest. He punched Marshall in the back of the head with all the force he could muster. The vampire let out a pathetic, strangled cry that almost made Gumball regret the action. Marshall flipped over and stared at Gumball through a haze of anger and rubbed his head gingerly.

"What the FUCK was that for?!"

"For being so immature, and self-centered, and ignorant – and – and—" Gumball could not even choose a good enough word to describe Marshall in his rage.

Marshall stared at the furious prince and was shocked to see that his lovely fuchsia eyes were filled with tears. The prince's chest heaved with each heavy breath, but he sounded like he was already crying. Marshall wanted to do something for him, but as he was the source of Gumball's pain, he could think of nothing comforting to do.

"Listen, Gumball," Marshall started, though he had no idea what he was going to say. He just looked at the prince hopelessly, wishing he could find the right words to take Gumball's tears away.

Marshall was sore everywhere. His limbs ached and his brain was muddled. Light hurt. Noise hurt. Thinking hurt.

"I know you're angry with me," the prince said, "but you shouldn't just _ignore_ me. Talk to me. Tell me you're angry. Yell and scream and call me names if you must. I deserve it for my actions. But don't ignore me, Marshall Lee. Our friendship is worth more than that."

Listening to the prince on the verge of losing it was not just emotionally painful, but physically as well. Marshall wanted to reach out to him, but feeling like he'd run full force into a brick wall – several times – he was in no fit state to say anything at the moment. He closed his eyes against the painful brightness of the prince and buried his face in his palms, pressing them gently against his eyelids. The cool touch soothed them, calmed his fevered skin, as Marshall struggled for speech.

_This is when you should apologize_, Gumball told himself. _Say you're sorry, it won't happen again, you weren't thinking clearly._ That way, they could put this behind them. Forget about it, patch things up, and move on just as they had before.

Gumball started to speak, but he stopped himself. He should have said those things. He really should have.

But none of it would have been true.

"I won't apologize," Gumball said, both to Marshall and to the voice of reason in his head. "I was fully aware of what I was doing. It was not some thoughtless act or mere curiosity. In that moment, Marshall Lee, no creature on this earth ever swayed me as you did. I've realized that, for some time now, I've grown to think of you as more than a friend. More than a brother. I ventured to think that you felt the same, and I made an incorrect assumption. I apologize for upsetting you, but I will _never_ be sorry that I kissed you."

A few moments passed, and Gumball wondered if Marshall was going to continue to be silent forever hoping that Gumball would give up and leave. The prince would hate to disappoint him, but he had no intention of going anywhere until the situation had been resolved. He could go home defeated or triumphant, but he could not return the same way he'd left.

"You kissed me, too. Maybe it was reflexive, but I think you felt what I was feeling, if only for a moment," Gumball continued.

Marshall's throat was parched. He needed a drink. With every word Gumball spoke, it was like a barrage of tiny bullets hit him. He stood up on his unsteady legs, not trusting himself to float with such a clouded head, and stumbled to the fridge. Gumball was on his heels. The prince watched as Marshall fished around inside and extracted something the prince had never seen in his possession before.

Blood.

It couldn't have been anything else. It was sealed in a medical packet and marked appropriately, but Gumball could scarcely believe his eyes. Marshall brought the bag to his lips, sank his fangs into it, and began to drain it of its contents. With a sigh of relief, the vampire sank down into one of his low backed wooden chairs and began to rub his temples once he'd consumed every last drop in the packet.

Gumball wasn't sure if he was more fascinated or disturbed by the action. His eyes drifted downward to Marshall's shirt where the dark stains were and realized what they must have been from. Eyes narrowed, he asked, "Why are you drinking blood?"

"I'm a vampire, it's kind of one of my quirks."

"I've never seen you drink it before."

The vampire looked up with a fierce gleam in his eyes. Gumball gulped.

"Does it bother you?" Marshall Lee asked. "Of course it does. You think it's repulsive."

Gumball tried to dodge the comment. "I think it's strange since all the time I've known you, you've only had color."

"Color doesn't have the same kick," the vampire said mockingly. Observing the vampire's behavior and sensitivity to sound and light, it began to make sense. It struck Gumball that once long ago Marshall mentioned that blood to vampires had an effect like alcohol. It was potent, intoxicating, and dangerous in large doses. The prince's eyes darted around the kitchen. Here and there on the counter, the kitchen table, and even one on the vacant chair – all over the place, there were empty blood packets. By his estimate, at least eight pints. He tried to imagine the alcoholic equivalent and cringed. No wonder why Marshall seemed to have the same symptoms of a hangover. Before the prince could ask why the vampire would drink so much, he answered his own question. Given the option, after the events that transpired, Gumball would probably find drinking himself into oblivion an enticing thought.

Marshall Lee leaned forward and determinedly closed his eyes, hoping to shut out the world. "I disgust you."

"Don't talk nonsense," Gumball muttered.

The vampire loosed a hoarse snicker. "You've listed plenty of damn good reasons in the last few minutes. I'm a filthy blood sucker. Stupid. Selfish. I run from all of my problems."

The prince's cheeks flushed. He'd said those things out of anger; since when did Marshall cling to his words like that? What had happened to the Marshall who brushed off any criticism thrown at him?

"And yet here I am," Gumball said.

"To chastise me. Or to wait for me to sweep you off your feet and ride off into the sunset like some fairytale bullcrap."

The prince crossed the kitchen to where Marshall sat and slid his finger under the vampire's chin. Slowly, he tilted Marshall's face upwards.

"I don't want a fairytale. I only want you."

"Don't say that shit," Marshall muttered, but lacked conviction.

Gumball took a deep breath to steady himself, but he felt so sick from anxiety. "Where do we stand, Marshall? Am I just a friend to you, or do you feel as I do?"

The vampire looked away, his hands knotted together, brow furrowed. He seemed determined not to answer.

"What am I to you?" Gumball asked.

Marshall did not meet the purple eyes he knew were trained on his face.

"You're my best friend. And the kid brother I never had. You're the only person I could never get tired of talking to. In a thousand years, I've met more people than you'll ever hear of in your lifetime. But no one's left such an impact on me. I don't think I could live without you if I tried."

The prince was silent. Marshall seemed uncomfortable saying all of this as he twisted his hands in his lap. But the vampire wasn't done. He looked up and rose shakily to his feet. Gumball took a step back to give Marshall room, but the vampire kept advancing one slow, unsteady step at a time.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?" the vampire snarled.

Was this the intoxicating effect of the blood that was making Marshall sound so fierce? His mood seemed to darken in seconds, and the prince fumbled for words.

"Why did you have to do this? Everything was so simple before."

Gumball's eyes widened and his back hit the counter behind him. And still, Marshall didn't stop. The prince was convinced that his friend was about to strike him, but Marshall Lee gave him one last furious glare before letting out a strangled, agonized groan, and throwing his arms around the prince. Thunderstruck, Gumball froze.

"You idiot," Marshall murmured, reminiscent of the night on the hilltop. "I just wanted to be friends forever. It was so easy that way. Everything was simple."

His heart was pounding so hard it ached. Gumball knew it was illogical and yet it surprised him that with its intense hammering, it didn't crack his sternum. Swallowing and breathing and moving were difficult. He resisted the urge to cling to Marshall Lee and asked softly, "So… So you want to just… keep being friends?"

His heart began to break before he even got a reply. Of course that's what Marshall wanted. But maybe that would be okay. As long as he could still be near him, that would be fine. Just as long as the vampire didn't ostracize him – anything but that. Being friends was better than nothing at all.

Marshall chuckled humorlessly. "It's too late for that."

Another fissure split across his heart. He wanted to collapse and cry and curse the gods. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't _fair_. It couldn't end this way, no, no, no -

Marshall Lee dipped his head down and caught the prince's lips in a deep kiss, holding him close and yet leaning back further against the kitchen counter until the edge dug into the prince's flesh painfully hard. Gumball must have been dreaming – but no, that pain most definitely meant he was awake. Bewildered, he simply stood there until the vampire broke away and looked him dead in the eyes. He was conflicted. Upset and pained and yet maybe just a little bit relieved.

"You made me realize just how much I need you," the vampire said.

Marshall Lee sighed and hugged the prince tightly, one hand stroking his soft pink hair. Gumball nervously wrapped his arms around the vampire as well and Marshall muttered, "I just wanted everything to be easy… being friends with you was so natural, and now we can't go back."

He was crying without knowing exactly why or when the tears started. Gumball sniffled and buried his tear soaked cheek against the vampire's chest and said, "If we can't go back, the only way left is forward. Right?"

Maybe he sounded just a little too hopeful. Marshall pulled back just long enough to kiss Gumball's forehead, his cheeks, his mouth. The prince could taste his own tears on the vampire's lips, his brain fizzling out and adrenaline pumping from the mere sensation of the vampire's kiss. Marshall rested his forehead against Gumball's and closed his eyes.

"I guess so, my little prince."


	17. Impel

A/N: To those suffering through the blizzard with me: be safe, you guys :D So glad I didn't lose power lol. Oh yeah, I finally saw the clip of "Bad Little Boy" with Marshall and Fi singing. Still fangasming askjhidjhg

As some of you may have noticed, I upped the rating from T to M to give myself some freedom with the content of later chapters :v (for some violence, **maybe** some -ahem- steamy boylove) Are you guys cool with that? Or would it be better if I toned it down and kept it at T? askjdnad let me know, I don't want to offend anyone ;-;

As a side note to the guest "Snowii": I'll try to have another chapter up for your birthday :D

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Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

-

The Endless Wood was a scary place for a lone teenager at night, but the terrors those trees once held had long since disappeared. Gumball walked alone through the twisted, dilapidated oaks and pines, the once alien paths were now as familiar as the corridors of the castle. Eerily dark even at night, the forest was enough to ward off most potential visitors. But Gumball had traversed this area since he was twelve years old, and he knew that there was nothing hiding in the darkness. No creature was suicidal enough to trespass in Marshall Lee's territory, after all. And that was all the assurance Prince Gumball needed to confidently travel through the Endless Wood alone.

He held his lantern before him, though it was difficult to see more than a few steps ahead. It was a particularly dark night with the new moon, and Gumball was starting to wish he'd asked Lord Monochromicorn to bring him directly to the vampire's house. He cringed at the thought. Naturally, Gumball confessed everything to his dear mute friend – and MoChro was not pleased. He'd sworn not to ever tell a soul, but he was adamant that Gumball give up on his fantasy and think realistically.

What did MoChro know? If the life he wanted to live didn't coincide with his responsibilities as a prince, then fine – he wouldn't be one. He would revoke his rights and leave the Candy Kingdom to be ruled by the queen and the council until she gave birth to the next heir. He remembered the conversation with MoChro during which the steed said that Queen Carmen could no longer give birth. With everything that had happened, Gumball had completely forgotten to ask the queen himself. Why couldn't she have another child? Why hadn't she had another one long ago, like other royals, who followed the 'heir and a spare' logic? It was puzzling. He made a mental note to ask her when he got home. Such a strange mystery could not go unsolved.

Gumball was so lost in thought that he barely noticed when a figure materialized in front of him. Startled though he was, he had no doubt it was Marshall Lee. He stopped and lifted the lantern higher to better see the figure before him.

It was not Marshall Lee.

It was a woman.

She was voluptuous and dangerously beautiful. Her midnight curls cascaded down past her waist and her skin was a cool gray. She wore a dark blue blazer with a matching pencil skirt and a pair of glittering red high heels.

"It's a lovely night, isn't it, little boy?" she purred.

Gumball, confused though he was, nodded. "Indeed. Are you lost, my lady?"

She smiled, her ruby lips parting to reveal a mouthful of sharp white teeth. The prince tried to slow his racing thoughts.

"No. Are you?"

The prince stared. "I… No, I'm quite used to the Endless Wood."

She chuckled, stepped back, and melted into the darkness. He lurched forward to illuminate her once again, but she was gone. Before he could call out to her, her voice rang through the darkness from somewhere to his left. He whipped around, lantern thrust out, and found her half-hidden behind a tree.

She peered out from behind the trunk with a playful grin. "So you've lulled yourself into a false sense of security. How _adorable_."

With a twirl of her hair, she disappeared behind the tree trunk. And then her voice sounded again to his right, and the prince spun around once more, desperately trying to keep her within sight. She was toying with a flower plucked from the ground. It withered in her grasp.

"Mortals can be so amusing. One little shred of confidence, and you think the night holds no terrors."

She stepped behind the trunk of another tree and was gone. Her voice came from everywhere and nowhere. Whispering in his ear, shouting from far away, left and right and over his head.

"This is a warning. Your first and only one. Stay in your world of light, sweet little prince. You don't belong here."

Terrified, Gumball whipped his head around, trying to find the woman. "What do you want from me?!"

She laughed clear as a bell, and the sound sent a shiver through the prince's body. "I want you to stay away."

He couldn't hear any other noise, but there was a breeze at his back, and his hair stood on end. Gumball froze. He couldn't see her, but he knew she was right behind him. He felt her breath, cold as death, against his neck.

"Ah, mortals are so fragile… What a shame it would be if you were to have… an _accident_."

He was too scared to turn around, knowing that doing so would probably lead to his death. But he couldn't just stand there and wait for it to come. He dropped the lantern and it smashed on the ground; he took off as fast as his legs could carry him, and then faster still. It was instinct; there was a predator, and Gumball was its prey. He had to _run_. To put as much distance between himself and that hellish creature as possible. Laughter echoed all around him, drowning out his thoughts and driving him forward. He tripped over rocks and smashed into low-hanging branches, but nothing could deter him for long. He had to _go_.

"Gumball?" a voice called in the darkness.

"Marshall," he sobbed. "Marshall! Marshall!"

_Slam_.

He collided with the body in front of him so hard that both he and the other went sprawling backward. He heard anxious words, but Gumball was in no fit state to think rationally. Chest heaving, he scrambled to his feet and tried to run again, but this time, he was caught and firmly held in a pair of strong arms. The familiar scent reached him, and a flannel button up rubbed against his cheek.

"What happened to you?" Marshall Lee asked.

Gumball was inarticulate. He clung to the vampire and slumped against him, his weak knees unable to support his weight. Marshall tried to soothe him, but seeing how impossible it was, he scooped the prince into his arms and carried him through the woods. It was only minutes until they reached the small clearing where Marshall Lee had built his house, and even then, Gumball could not calm himself.

Marshall gently lowered the prince into a kitchen chair while he set a kettle of water to boil on the stove. He sat down adjacent to Gumball and stroked his pale face.

"Did you see her?" Gumball asked faintly.

"Who?" Marshall asked.

The prince shuddered. "The woman. You must have heard her."

"What woman? Who are you talking about?"

Gumball tried to see if Marshall was joking or not, but he seemed genuinely confused. That only made it worse. "I don't know who she was… She was… tall, dark haired… the way she moved… she must have been… _something_ demonic… She—she was going to _kill_ me…"

Marshall stared, not comprehending what the prince was saying. "You sure you didn't hit your head?"

The prince stood up so abruptly that he knocked the chair over. "This isn't a joke! I almost died! She could still be out there, waiting for the opportunity to strike, and –"

"Whoa, hang on," Marshall insisted. He slowly stood up as well and wrapped his arms around the little prince. "Lots of the nomads said that some pixies have been hanging around the grasslands lately. You know, they love pulling pranks and scaring people. It was probably just them doing some of their stupid magic to spook you."

As much as Gumball wanted to believe that, there were no pixies he knew of that could conjure images that vivid. And yet, what else could it have been? There were no demons or other foul creatures that lived in the Endless Wood. Not with a figure as renowned and intimidating as Marshall Lee. It had to have been a pixie prank. _It had to be_. He tried to keep telling himself that, but it was difficult when he thought of the withered flower and her frigid breath on his neck. Marshall seemed to realize that the prince was still unsure. He pulled him back just far enough to press his forehead to Gumball's.

"Listen. No one will hurt you here. There isn't a creature around who has the balls to mess with me. 'Specially not some lame pixies."

He pulled back for a moment to look the prince in the eyes. Gumball was still trembling and seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Marshall pressed his lips to the prince's brow.

"I'll protect you. I promise."

It took a few moments, but Gumball eventually gave a shaky nod. The kettle began whistling, and Marshall hurried to remove it from the flame. He dropped a small handful of tea leaves into a mug, poured the boiling water over it, and set it on the kitchen table to steep. Gumball held the mug between his hands to allow the warmth to permeate his clammy hands. The tea leaves were sweetgrass, and the prince watched as they stained the water crimson. It made his stomach turn, despite how sweet it smelled. For the sake of politeness, he drank the tea and ignored the blood red color.

"So, uh… I guess you don't wanna go for a swim tonight, huh?" Marshall asked with a weak smile.

Gumball didn't even have the motivation to glare at the vampire. "Can we just stay inside and watch movies or something?"

Marshall ruffled the prince's hair. "Sure thing, kiddo. Go pick something out and I'll make snacks."

Gumball, reluctant to leave the vampire's side, insisted, "I'd like to help."

He shrugged and rummaged through the fridge while Gumball fidgeted by the counter. It couldn't have been a hallucination. Everything was so vivid, so real… But then why couldn't Marshall hear her? She was so _loud_… So terrifying… But then again, she disappeared and Marshall entered the forest. Maybe he was right. Maybe they were just stupid pixies and they were too scared to face Marshall so they took off to avoid confrontation. That must have been it. Marshall was right; he was the strongest thing to dwell in the forest. Maybe in all of Ooo. He had no reason to fear with the vampire by his side.

Marshall pushed a bowl into the prince's hands. Gumball stared down at the apples inside it with a blank expression.

"I thought you wanted to help?" Marshall said.

"Oh… yes, right," he mumbled.

He set the bowl on the counter and pulled out the apples to place them on a cutting board. He pulled a knife from the block and began to chop them into even slices.

Marshall picked up a piece and drained the color from it. "You know, you really got me hooked on these rubiyat apples."

Gumball nodded and pulled another apple forward, bringing the knife down for another slice – and pain seared up his hand. Distracted as he was, the prince didn't notice he was cutting improperly and the knife sliced into his thumb. He inhaled sharply, dropped the knife, and he held the injured hand to his chest. It wasn't a terrible wound, but it was deep enough to throb and bleed.

Concerned and curious, Marshall approached him and pried away his injured hand to inspect it.

"Do you have any bandages?" Gumball asked.

The vampire wasn't listening. Gumball watched as his pupils dilated wildly and his eyes darkened as he inhaled. Hesitant at first, the vampire pulled the hand towards him, and gently flicked his tongue against the cut. Gumball shivered at the touch, but he was fascinated; Marshall's eyes fluttered shut, and he released a groan from deep in his chest. He looked up at the prince through his eyelashes like he was asking permission. Understanding, Gumball adjusted his hand so that he cupped Marshall's face while resting his injured thumb against the vampire's lips. He was careful and delicate as he held Gumball's hand and wrist in both of his hands. He opened his mouth and took the bleeding digit in with his tongue, licking the sliced flesh with as much restraint as he could muster. As the droplets of blood kept forming, Marshall finally allowed himself to gently suck on the wound. Gumball winced at the odd sensation, but there was something so wonderful about the expression on the vampire's face. Enticing and exciting. Gumball was finding it difficult to swallow.

The prince tried to pull his hand away, but Marshall refused to relinquish the small blood source. Amused, the prince gently tugged him forward until the vampire's face was just inches away from his own. Gumball slipped his thumb from Marshall's mouth, and greeted the longing vampire with a kiss. Marshall Lee sighed against the prince's lips and wrapped his arms around him, one hand tangling in his soft pink hair, the other drifting down the gentle slope of his back.

Marshall lifted the prince up like a child as he made for the living room. Gumball murmured, "Don't you want to finish making snacks? For the movie?"

"No," the vampire growled.

Gumball was so innocent… but the way he was looking at Marshall with those half-lidded eyes and rosy cheeks, the vampire had to wonder if perhaps he was less naïve than he let on. He sat down on the couch to spare the prince the discomfort, as Marshall had no problem with it, and settled the prince down to straddle his lap. He was intoxicated on the taste and smell of warm blood. It was such a different experience than drinking from blood bags. They were so obviously not flesh, and even when warmed up, could not mimic the taste or flow of a bleeding wound. If that kind of blood got him drunk, the taste of fresh blood from a live body was ethereal. He could never get the prince to understand. It was more than sustaining himself, more than a food source. It was _erotic_.

Marshall Lee had dealt with this for a thousand years. He was not some youngling that was going to snap in an instant and destroy his victim. As entranced as he was, he had enough self-restraint to keep himself from hurting the prince. But he could take advantage of rare instances like this, when the prince was bleeding, to satiate his cravings. Just to taste those sweet, delicious drops was enough. But now that he'd tasted it for the first time, he was excited. Too excited to sit idly by. He would not give in to temptation, but it was so exhilarating to feel his racing pulse, to let his lips drift over the prince's throbbing jugular. He paused at the vein, a shiver racking his body. He could feel each subtle pulse and it was driving him wild. If only he could have a taste…

Gumball tilted his head to the side to allow the vampire more room and threaded his fingers through the undead teen's hair. The prince stroked the vampire's cheek and whispered, "Do it."

Dazed, the vampire kissed the prince's neck and murmured, "Hmm..?"

His voice came a little stronger this time as he lifted the vampires chin until his lips fell precisely against the vein. "You can… you can bite me."

Desire stirred his numb body to life at the prospect. But Gumball was only entertaining the vampire's fantasy. Marshall chuckled, "Don't be such a tease."

"I'm not teasing," the prince muttered indignantly. "I want you to do it."

Marshall lifted his head before Gumball's words got to him. He explained as calmly as he could, "I can't. Tasting blood is one thing, but if I bit you, you would turn…"

Gumball finished, "… into a vampire. I know."

Marshall narrowed his eyes at the prince. "If you know what would happen, then why would you say something like that?"

Gumball caressed his face with his knuckles, enjoying the feeling of the cool skin beneath them. "Because I want to be like you. Turn me into a vampire."

Marshall felt sick to his stomach. Disgusted, he disentangled himself from the prince and strode across the room to open a window. He needed fresh air.

"Don't joke around like that. This isn't funny."

"I'm not joking, Marshall," Gumball insisted. He turned the vampire around with a gentle hand and leaned up to kiss him. His soft fingertips found the puncture wounds that permanently scarred the vampire's neck, sending a jolt through Marshall.

"Turn me," the prince said breathlessly, "I've read stories that say… a vampire is bound to the vampire that turned him forever. Isn't that true? We could be like that. I could be immortal, permanently bonded to you. I could be strong enough to protect you, too. We will never die and we will never be alone."

Marshall shoved the prince a little harder than he intended to, but he was too furious to care. "You don't get it. You wouldn't be like me. You would be a normal vampire. One that can't sleep, or breathe, or taste anything but blood. You'll never overcome the desire for blood, it'll be all you think about until the day someone's kind enough to drive a stake through your heart. Is that the kind of existence you want?"

Gumball chewed his lower lip, brow furrowed. "It's a small price to pay to live with you forever."

Why couldn't he understand? Why couldn't he _see?_ Marshall paced about the room, angry that the prince had even proposed such a preposterous idea. He had no idea what he would be getting into. And it was so cruel to tempt Marshall with such a self-assured way. He was under control, but the tantalizing thought of pinning the prince to the ground and marking him, claiming him, draining him was driving him _mad_.

He had to make Gumball understand. And if the headstrong prince wouldn't listen to Marshall Lee, then Marshall would have to take another route.

"Fine. You think this is what you want? Think you know better?"

"Marshall—"

"Let's go."

The vampire stormed into the kitchen, leaving the prince alone. Gumball stood there for a moment, mouth gaping open. How had things gone so wrong? Wasn't this what Marshall Lee wanted, too? He heard strange sounds coming from the other room and Marshall Lee chanting in some strange language. When Gumball jogged to catch up with him, he was startled to see a blazing portal had been ripped open in the kitchen wall. It was a swirl of color and flames, painfully bright and an ominous wind poured from it. Stunned, the prince couldn't even react as the vampire dragged him along and hissed, "Let's make a deal. First, I'm going to show you what a _real_ vampire is like. If you still want to become one so bad, I'll turn you."

"But, Marsh—where are we going?" the prince asked, his voice shrill and panicked.

The vampire flashed him a humorless grin. "The Nightosphere."


	18. Immerge

RIDICULOUSLY LONG A/N: Thanks for your feedback on the M rating, guys! I'll give fair warning when it's coming up so if you don't want to read it, you don't have to. I'll also isolate the M rated pieces the best I can so that you're not missing out on important stuff if you choose not to read it :3

I know, I know, (a lot) of you guys want smut and unfortunately in this chap I do not deliver. I'M SORRY – BUT! To tide you over go on my dA. (username is the same, or just click the link in my profile.) I'll give you two hints as to what it is: 1) it's Gumlee 2) it's smut lolol

Also, DellVanity has started a fic called "The Cooldown Prince" which is her spin-off of (im)Perfect. Check it out if you're interested!

Happy birthday, Snowii!

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Disclaimer: _(im)Perfect © me; Adventure Time © Pen Ward_

-

Whoever described Hell must have been thinking of the Nightosphere.

The barren, craggy landscape gave way to stormy skies and harsh winds. Grotesque creatures flew, crawled, and thundered over the plains and peaks. _You're dreaming_, Gumball told himself feverishly. _This is all one extravagant hallucination._

But the smell of brimstone brought tears to his eyes and he scraped his knees on the hard packed reddish earth. The awful sounds of the demons wandering the land made his ears feel as if they were going to bleed.

"How is any of this real…?" Gumball asked the Vampire King.

Marshall flashed him a toothy grin. "This is the Nightosphere. A dimension apart from the world you know, yet tied to it all the same."

"I still don't understand what we're doing here," he murmured.

Wordless, Marshall scooped the prince up in his arms and flew through the smog filled air. Gumball covered his mouth and nose with his shirt to block out the fumes, but it did little to help. They traversed the darkened sky until Marshall Lee swooped into a gully. When he touched down, the prince looked up and found that they were standing in the mouth of a cave. Unearthly howling poured from the mouth, and Gumball froze; was it the wind making that noise, or was it something… alive?

"Come on, Your Highness," Marshall smirked. "Meet the brothers you want to have."

Pride was all that kept the prince from running away, that forced one foot in front of the other. He swallowed, trying to drown his fear, to be brave like Marshall. The vampire took him by the arm and nearly dragged him inside the cave. He tried not to look, but he couldn't stop. He stared open-mouthed at the jagged stalactites that resembled prison bars, and the disturbing inscriptions on the walls. There were voices and murmurs and moans coming from deep within, and they were swallowed up by the darkness, moving steadily towards a flickering light.

"Please, Marshall, I want to go home," the prince whispered.

His begging went unanswered.

They came up over an outcropping of rock, and Marshall pointed at the sight before them.

"Look at them."

And Gumball could not tear his eyes away.

They were emaciated, pale, lifeless. Their eyes were sunken and bloodshot, their bones sticking out through their papery skin. They were crowded around a dim fire, and the nearest one was clutching what appeared to be a femur thicker than his arm, desperately cracking it open for marrow. They had deep purple rings around their eyes as if they had not slept in forever. Gumball reminded himself – if Marshall was right about them, they probably hadn't ever slept at all.

One raised its head, sniffing noisily. At first, Gumball thought it was a male, but its voice was distinctly feminine. She crowed, "I smell it."

In response, the others raised their heads as well. Their eyes were drawn towards Marshall and Gumball, standing several yards away. From the way they looked at the pair, there could have been a thousand miles between them and it still wouldn't have been enough to make him feel safe. Nearly in unison, they let out awful cries and pounced across the cave, their voices echoing horribly. Their bloodlust was not something that could be satiated, and they couldn't resist a warm meal. Terrified, the prince knew there was no time to run. Gumball stumbled backward, but Marshall was the one to stop them. He grabbed the first offender by the face with his bare hand, and slammed him into the ground. The second one, too quick behind the first, was stopped by Marshall's elbow in her chest. She knocked into the third, and they both went flying backwards. The next two had the sense to go for Marshall first, but he was too quick. He grabbed the first one by the arm and swung him violently into the other who was mid-pounce, and used the momentum to swing the both of them right into the cave wall. Another was creeping along the floor, hoping to go unnoticed, as he made his way to Gumball – until Marshall kicked him in the teeth so hard that one of his fangs broke. Finally, the only one left was the vampire girl who'd spoken. She was tensed, lurching forward, but just managing to keep herself in check. She licked her dry lips, but knew better than to pursue this useless endeavor.

"Hello, Lana," Marshall said with forced enthusiasm.

The vampire girl sneered. "Marshall Lee. To what do we owe this… _pleasure?_ I take it you haven't really brought us a meal?" she croaked.

"Of course not," Marshall quipped. "I was just in the area and thought I'd drop by for a visit."

The first vampire attacker slowly pulled himself up from the ground and loosed a derisive snort. "Not a meal. But a snack."

It happened so quickly that Gumball barely saw it. One moment, the vampire was flying at him – the next, Marshall Lee had replaced him, and the offending vampire was hurled across the cave where he landed on a thin stalagmite – and due to the force of the blow, the rock impaled him through the stomach. He let out a cry of agony, and Gumball's mouth fell open in horror. Yet the vampire did not bleed, not even as he slowly, painfully, disgorged himself from the jagged spire. After much grunting and panting, he staggered away from it – with a gaping hole that pierced his whole body. Gumball tasted bile in this throat and turned his head away. He couldn't stand to look. How could anything receive such a grievous wound and still stand, let alone live?

"You see, Gumball," Marshall explained coolly, "it's a wonderful way to live, isn't it? Hiding in a cave forever because you're the weakest thing in the Nightosphere… Living off of the rotting carcasses of whatever poor beasts die nearby the cave… It's been centuries since any of them have tasted fresh blood."

"But… if you can't have fresh blood, why don't you all just… live off of red? Or from blood bags?" Gumball asked weakly.

The impaled vampire cackled. "Hah! There is no comparison between them. _None_. Nothing compares to the sweet, warm juices from a live, wriggling body, feeling your terrified victim die in your grasp as you taste the last streams their frantic hearts could–"

Lana, who seemed to be the leader of the small group, flashed the prince a grim smile. "That's why your lovely friend here damned us to the Nightosphere. You see, we're true vampires. We refuse to live off of red. We couldn't sustain ourselves on color alone even if we wanted to. Humans are our natural prey, just as cattle are to you. It's simply how the food chain works, and it just so happens that mortals are not at the top."

Marshall finished, "Ever wonder why humans are just a legend now? Lana, Jared, and all of these others killed thousands of them during and after the war. At one time, they were like you, Gumball. And then they were turned. They didn't care about humans or any other living thing anymore than you care about a mosquito before you swat it. This is what they have become. _This _is their pitiful existence because of their crimes – eternal damnation. Here, there's no one to feed from but demons – and the weakest demons can easily kill any of them. They can barely eat, they can't sleep, they can't even kill themselves."

Lana saw the questioning look in the prince's eyes. "A vampire can only die when exposed to sunlight. It just so happens that there is no sunlight in the Nightosphere. And there is no one who will return us to the other dimension, not even to kill ourselves."

Gumball tried to draw himself up proudly, but it was difficult when he felt so very small and afraid. "I won't be like that, Marshall. I can control myself, and would never turn out like this."

Marshall Lee, frustrated, put his hands on the prince's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. "You sure about that? Ask yourself this: how many of these guys do you think turned into vampires _wanting_ to become murderous scum?"

Lana's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward. "Do I hear right? You _want_ to become a vampire?"

Marshall looked down at him, and then back to the other vampires. "Do you, Gumball?"

He stared at the starved creatures before him. They were so pitiful. So _desperate_. Even now, they seemed to be trying to find a way to wrest the prince away from Marshall, even after seeing what their king had done to them. Marshall's words struck him: they were humans once. Many centuries ago, they had families, friends, lovers, enemies. They had been frozen in time, and left to decay in eternally youthful bodies, with no thought on their minds except for blood. Lana, as horrid as she now looked, may have once looked normal. Maybe she had sisters, brothers, a fiancé, or even a young child. She may have been a teenager just like Gumball once. And maybe she never wanted to hurt a soul, either.

And now, here she was. Unable to dream. Unable to run about in the sunlight. Looking at him like he was food, not a person. Craving the fluid pumping through his veins and fantasizing about the perfect moment to strike, to kill him. Marshall said she, and all the others, had killed thousands – and none of them denied it.

Gumball was so confident that he could subdue those homicidal desires – but looking at these creatures now, he wondered how many of them thought the same.

It made sense now. He remembered what seemed like so long ago when Party Pat first warned him against this path. What was it she'd said? _You have yet to realize what you'd be giving up. Until you understand and decide you're willing to give it up, stay as you are. _She was right. Harebrained, strange, ditzy Pat was _right_. Gumball would never wish for any creature, no matter how evil, to live as these vampires did – if it could even be called living. He had no idea. Until now, Gumball had no clue how very different from a true vampire Marshall was. Knowing that he would end up like these depraved creatures… it made him physically ill. Pat, Marshall Lee – they were _right_. Gumball wasn't used to being so thoroughly and completely wrong.

With a lump in his throat and a heavy, guilty heart, the prince murmured, "No. I don't want to."

"Good," Marshall Lee said. "Then let's get out of here."

He took Gumball by the hand, and though he turned his back on the vampires in the cave, Gumball had no doubt he was aware of their every movement.

"Marshall Lee. The heinous bitch has been getting… restless. She's tired of waiting for you."

Marshall paused. "Really. And you're giving me this kind warning because…?"

"Because you're our _king._ Your _Majesty_." She curtseyed mockingly. Marshall scoffed; this reasoning wouldn't fool him. Lana explained, "Rumor has it, she's closer than you think, and she's not pleased with you. I don't like you, Marshall Lee. In fact, I hate you more than anything, more than the sun itself. Not a day goes by when I don't dream of the perfect opportunity to destroy you the way you have done to us. However, no creature living or dead, mortal or undying, exists whom we loathe more than _her_. When it comes down to it, I would rather have you rule, simply because I despise you just a bit less."

"I'm flattered. Thanks for the warning. Well, Lana, everyone – take care."

"Eat shit, Your Grace," the impaled vampire cursed.

"Rot in hell, Marshall Lee," a shriveled childlike one sneered.

"Kindly go fuck yourself," Lana said.

The Vampire King smiled and let out a satisfied sigh. "Ahh. Nothing like feeling the love of your loyal subjects."

Gumball would never understand his sense of humor.

He should have been thinking about the conversation Lana and Marshall exchanged. It was important. He should have asked whom they were talking about, who this woman was whom Lana hated so much… it was someone Marshall knew. But Gumball couldn't focus on their brief exchange. Not when his mind was already overflowing.

They made their way from the winding cave in silence. It was dark and treacherous, and yet Gumball could barely focus on his footing. The odd howling sound at the mouth of the cave made the prince's skin crawl, though he wouldn't have to listen for much longer. Lost in a daze, he watched as Marshall ripped open another swirling portal, took hold of the prince, and stepped through it. When he blinked again, they were standing in Marshall's kitchen, right where they'd left. Inside the quaint little kitchen, it seemed like nothing had changed.

But that was wrong.

Everything had changed. Everything was different.

"Come here," Marshall said softly, "I'll take you home." He held out his arms to pick the prince up. But Gumball stepped away, downcast, fighting down the anger and shame roiling inside of him.

"I'm so sorry, Marshall," he whispered.

"Apology accepted," the undead teen replied.

Still, Gumball could not bring himself to walk into the vampire's arms. "I had no idea… If, for a moment, I ever imagined it would be so terrible… I'm sorry I ever asked you to do such a thing to me."

No matter how badly Gumball wanted to spend eternity with Marshall, he could never subject himself to the life of a true vampire. The idea of becoming what Lana and the others had turned into… it was too much. It was too high a price. Gumball didn't think there was anything he'd be unwilling to pay, but his humanity – his entire self – was unfathomable. And to think, he'd so ignorantly begged Marshall to turn him before… No wonder why Marshall had been so furious with him.

He sighed and brushed a loose strand of pink hair from Gumball's face. "The important thing is that now you know why I can't turn you."

"But still…" the prince's lip trembled, "that means someday I'll die… Isn't there another way I can become immortal so I can live with you forever?"

It wasn't quite sadness, but it was a feeling so deep and profound that for once, Marshall Lee truly looked as if he'd walked the earth for a thousand years. When he touched the prince's cheek, it was somehow more intimate than anything they'd ever done, and all it was, was a gentle brush of skin. For once, Gumball felt like a helpless child looking to his elder for guidance. For reassurance that in the end, everything would be okay.

"You wanna know the truth?" Marshall asked.

Gumball stared wide-eyed and waiting.

"I was bitten when I was six years old. When a human is bitten, they remain frozen at that age forever, just like Lana and the others. But I wasn't human – I was a demon. The thing with demons is… we're not immortal. We age slowly. For me, it was slowed down even more when I was turned. But I'll still keep aging. A few centuries down the road, I won't look like a teenager anymore. I'll look middle aged. And eventually like an old man. I'll grow weaker and more decrepit. My mind will go. My body will go. And yet the curse of vampire's immortality will remain within me, keeping me alive even as I die a little more every day. It's pitiful, but that is my future. Do you understand now, Bubba? Even if you were immortal, you would be the one watching _me_ decay. And that's not something I could ever put you through. One way or the other, one of us will end up watching the other die. You see, there is no happy ending to our story, my little prince. All we can do is live in the present."


	19. Impromptu

A/N: Anyone going to Anime Boston this year? My boyfriend, close friend, and I are cosplaying Marshall, Gumball, and Fionna. Let me add that these are two dudes who 1) normally act like gay lovers and 2) have no idea about my obsession with Marball. There will be so much homo and I will have the biggest lady boner. Ever. So yeah, come see us and take pictures of their beautiful bromance!

Also, a promise to all of you eagerly awaiting porn: for every chapter I put of writing it, I will compensate by drawing it. Deviantart, ahoy! Also, HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS, (im)Perfect has +25,000 views wtf man ;A; and the last chapter got almost a thousand hits in day one, so what I wanna know is WHERE THE HELL DID YOU ALL COME FROM, OH MY GOD

but thank you all so, so, so much for reading ;u; c'mere so I can hug y'all~

And last but not least, thanks x10000 to mandythebat for the super adorable fanart! (link in profile)

-

Live in the present. They were words to live by. All they could do was take things one day at a time, and they would be happy. This was how Marshall Lee lived every day of his life, because what's the point of dwelling on the future when you live for eternity? Maybe it was just a phase, but Marshall wanted to live life to the fullest, to live every minute as if he would die tomorrow. How else was he supposed to enjoy the life he'd been given?

Gumball had taken up the same mantra. He may not have been immortal, but he knew his days with Marshall were limited. If he spent them all dreading the day of their permanent separation, Marshall would have nothing but bitter memories of the prince. And so, Gumball did as he said: he took each day as it came. There was no other way to be happy. Even so, as far as Marshall could tell, the prince bounced back pretty quickly after dropping the bomb on him once they left the Nightosphere. Sure, he'd been depressed for a day or so, even worse than when his dad died. But that was it. Marshall wasn't sure what caused it – maybe Gumball simply decided to stop worrying about things beyond his control – but it seemed to take no time at all for him to return to his usual bubbly self. The complete turnaround was jarring, but Marshall felt it was best not to question it even though he felt there was some kind of underlying reason. If Gumball was happy, he'd just leave it at that.

What felt like the blink of any eye to him was days to Gumball. It seemed like the prince was around all the time, but it didn't really bother him. There wasn't anyone else he'd rather spend time with, even if they weren't doing anything at all. Whether they were partying, or going to a concert, or just lying there side by side – time spent with Gumball was never time wasted. The only thing he really wondered was when the hell the prince got a chance to sleep. Ruling a nation by day and visiting the vampire by night – Gumball had quite a full schedule. Though from his constant energy, you'd never know how busy he always was.

The prince looked up at his companion with a slight pout. "You really don't want to go see the movie?"

Marshall put forth a lot of effort to keep from rolling his eyes. "Bleh. It's just some sappy romance."

"That's not a bad thing," the prince insisted. "Usually they play two on weekend nights, don't they?"

"Yeah, one gross love story and one REALLY bad kung fu flick. If you wanna watch movies so much, we can just do it at my house."

"All you have are slashers and horror movies," the prince sighed. "They get stale very quickly."

"You wanna talk about stale? What about that whacked documentary about _beetles_ you made me sit through?" Marshall said, digging his elbow into the prince's ribs.

Gumball frowned, looking indignant. The prince found it to be quite the informative film, but saying so would only earn him another jibe from the undead teen. It would be a silly argument anyway, so Gumball simply smiled and admitted, "I suppose the narrator was a bit monotonous. If we can't agree on a movie, what else would you suggest?"

Marshall shrugged. "I'm kinda beat so I just wanna chill."

"Maybe if you stayed out of the mosh pit you wouldn't be so tired," the prince added playfully.

Marshall stuck his tongue out at the prince as they crossed the threshold into the vampire's home. "Hey. You can't _not_ mosh to Chaotic Kitten."

Gumball spluttered, hardly able to contain his laughter. "How can you even say that name with a straight face?"

Marshall flushed. "Cause they're a sweet band, that's why. Don't knock 'em. And I saw you singing along, so _there_."

The prince made his way to the living room and he pulled off his coat, laying it neatly over the back of the armchair. "Some of their music is okay," he admitted. "But _Chaotic Kitten?_ It just sounds silly."

"Your face sounds silly," Marshall shot back.

"That doesn't even make sense," Gumball retorted.

"It doesn't have to. I'm awesome."

The prince settled down in the armchair, which was thankfully more comfortable than Marshall's horrible couch. Marshall floated behind the armchair, leaned over so he was looking at the prince upside down, and pecked Gumball's forehead. To his surprise, the prince grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down further into a deep kiss. Thanks to quite a bit of practice, the prince was getting better at this. Marshall wasn't one to let a simple kiss get to him, but sometimes with the way Gumball moved, he was left craving more.

Marshall Lee suggested, "Let's play some video games."

"All right."

In a lot of ways, as much as everything changed, many things had stayed the same. Marshall and Gumball still partied and played music together. Sometimes they would make the long trip to the beach for the night to catch fish and sometimes they would just stay inside and Gumball would make do with Marshall's sparse ingredients and bake. On the surface, it seemed like they were still just the best of friends. But if you looked closer, you'd see the differences. Sometimes when Gumball spoke, Marshall would simply disregard everything else and stare at him, maybe without even really listening to him, just to hear the sound of his voice and watch his subtle movements. When the prince reached out to the vampire, his touches would last just a little longer, reluctant to pull away and sever their contact. And, of course, sometimes they would make out.

As Marshall turned on the GameStation and tossed the prince his preferred controller, he settled into the sofa, his mind only half on the game. He still had a tingling feeling in his face and chest and fingertips from the unexpected, passionate kiss. Marshall Lee had plenty of experience when it came to sex thanks to decades of one night stands and meaningless flings. It was relationships that he wasn't used to, whether they were platonic or otherwise. Romantic relationships entailed intimacy – and Marshall Lee was finding out every day how very different intimacy and sex were. With other partners, he was used to just getting everything out of it that he wanted, whether it was a quick backstage fuck or a long, insane night when he'd wake up in the morning and wonder whether or not he was ever going to be able to move again. But it was different with Gumball for a lot of reasons. Unlike his past flings, there was a real emotional attachment here, so the little things meant so much more. Even after all this time, Marshall had never known that the lightest touch, the softest kiss, could blow him away the way Gumball's did.

In the past, Marshall entertained the thought that Gumball was something of a brother to him. But Marshall had never really had a family, let alone siblings, so he imagined that's what brothers would be like. Gumball seemed to really look up to Marshall, to rely on him for answers that the intelligent prince had yet to understand. It was nice to have that kind of a relationship with someone. And yet Gumball came to realize he was different from the vampire, that he couldn't always find his answers with Marshall, and he didn't look up to him so much anymore. They became less of brothers and more of friends, equals. He was so radically different, and despite that, Gumball had grown on him. The prince was an irreplaceable part of Marshall's life. A piece of his heart.

In a lot of ways, Gumball was still a child. He was a spoiled brat. For all his empathy, he was still selfish. For all his intelligence, he knew little of the world outside of his kingdom. And yet, over the years, Marshall watched as he matured. He grew a little wiser every day. A little more experienced with every judgment he made. He was growing up, his birthday was only days away, and Gumball had changed physically as well as mentally. He was not some awkward, feminine child any longer. The soft curve of his chin was developing into a strong jawline and his shoulders seemed to have doubled in width since the last time Marshall checked. That squeaky voice was deepening and he must have grown at least four or five inches in the past few months. His eyes were level with Marshall's chin now. It was strange to think that just a few years ago, this was the same prince whom he terrified.

The attraction wasn't instantaneous. In fact, Marshall wasn't sure when it started. But it was probably around the time when Gumball told him that his mother had given him a year to pick out a wife and he needed help talking to girls. Marshall wanted to scoff at that. Gumball was still just a kid. Why would he need to get married? But Gumball _wasn't_ a kid. He was a teenager, and he was getting older every day. He was taller, his features more defined, his baby fat disappearing. Marshall wondered why he'd never noticed it before then. It was like he'd blinked and the prince had hit puberty. Naturally, he'd repressed it. How was he supposed to think about his best friend that way? And then there were the little things that Gumball did. The way he blushed so easily and stopped breathing when Marshall teased him in anything that resembled a flirtatious manner.

It was so hard to pretend he wasn't interested in the prince when Gumball had such an obvious crush. _It couldn't be that_, Marshall lied to himself each time. _He can't be interested in me_. Sure, he was pink, prissy, and loved baking. But that didn't mean by default that he was attracted to guys. It was so absurd to think that his _best friend_ would ever see Marshall as anything else. Even when the signs were there, Marshall had to ignore them. Friendship was easy. Romance was… not.

After Marshall's fifth consecutive loss, the fiery words _Player 1 - K.O.!_ blazed across the screen, and Gumball put his controller down with a sigh.

"I know you're not letting me win on purpose. What's wrong?"

Marshall shrugged and watched with disinterest as the TV replayed Gumball's finishing move and the poorly dubbed cinematic began to play. "Just tired."

It was hardly an excuse for his poor performance, and they both knew it. Gumball set aside his controller and crossed the room to sit on the floor by Marshall. He looked up with his impossibly big violet eyes, just asking for Marshall to give the real reason. But the Vampire King was hardly in the mood to spill his guts to Gumball, so he simply flashed his usual cocky grin. "Guess I was distracted by how dorky you look in that sweater vest."

Gumball plucked at the vest self-consciously and murmured, "I love this vest…"

"Bubba. It's a sweater vest. Only the dorkiest dorks wear those."

The prince wouldn't budge, though. He frowned while he got to his feet and said, "This dork needs a drink. Kicking your butt has me parched."

As the prince wandered into the kitchen, Marshall wondered what to say to get a rise out of him. Should he knock his manners for not offering to get the vampire a drink? Or for not asking, as he always used to, if he was allowed to have something from Marshall's kitchen? However, the vampire was actually not lying – he was mentally tired and opted not to say anything at all. Instead, he took the time to stretch and yawn. Maybe a good spook would liven him up – and the prince as well.

Marshall Lee grinned as he floated silently to the doorway. Gumball had his back turned on him as he pried some ice cubes out of the tray over the counter. The prince added them to a glass of cranberry juice just as Marshall hovered behind him, threw out his arms -

"_ARGH!"_

Just as Gumball picked up his glass, Marshall lifted the prince in the air by his waist. Startled, Gumball fumbled with the glass and sent the liquid splattering everywhere. With the prince's shouting and flailing, Marshall lost his grip, and the prince fell into a heap on the cold, wet linoleum.

"_Marshall!"_ Gumball whined.

"… Oops."

He helped the prince to his feet as Gumball rubbed his sore tailbone. The pink prince looked down at his front and let out a groan of frustration. "This will never come out!"

It was true. The bright red juice was already staining the cream colored vest the prince wore, and Marshall felt a twinge of regret. Maybe he should have just stayed put in the living room.

"Sorry, dude," he said, chuckling nervously. Gumball's glare let the vampire know he wasn't allowed to play this off.

"I'll, uh… get you cleaned up," Marshall offered. But before he could do anything to help, Gumball swiped a clean dish cloth off of the counter and dabbed at the ruined shirt himself.

"That's not really gonna help," Marshall reminded him.

The prince huffed and ignored him.

"This is why you should leave a change of clothes here," the vampire sighed. "Gimme that."

He took away the dish cloth and dropped it on the kitchen table. Gumball was looking up at him with disdain, and Marshall wanted to snap at him to cut the drama. It was just a stupid sweater vest. He did feel a little bit guilty. If the shoe was on the other foot and Gumball had screwed up his Chaotic Kitten shirt…

The idea came to him just like that.

"Mar – _what_ in glob's name are you doing?"

"Shaddup," Marshall muttered as he tugged the teen prince's vest and shirt up over his head. Gumball self-consciously crossed his arms across his chest and flushed a bright, delicious red over every visible patch of skin. Marshall felt his hunger stir to life at the sight. To the prince's further confusion, Marshall pulled off his own shirt, and before the prince could even begin to speak, crammed it over Gumball's head.

The prince spluttered and squirmed, and it took Marshall Lee's help to get his arms through the sleeves properly, though he finally wrestled the shirt onto him. Gumball was still blushing crimson when he demanded, "What was all of that for?"

The vampire shrugged. "I was trying to be nice. You can run around shirtless if you really want to."

"You could have just given me something else," the prince mumbled, watching as Marshall dropped a dish cloth to the floor and started mopping up the spilled liquid. "Something that you weren't already wearing."

"Well… yeah. But I figured… It's my favorite shirt. So. You know. I messed up yours, so… I'll give you mine."

Gumball blinked, surprised to hear Marshall's reasoning. When he vampire looked over and found the prince's eyes trained on him, he snapped, "What? Stop looking at me like that!"

Turning his attention instead to the band t-shirt he was now wearing, Gumball observed the weird image that was the new cover art for Chaotic Kitten's latest album. Marshall was strangely obsessed with that band, so to actually let Gumball wear his favorite shirt was quite a surprise. It made him happy, though, and he tentatively looked up as the vampire finished wiping up the last of the mess. Marshall threw the soaked, dirty rag in the sink and insisted, "Let's just get back to the game."

Gumball lingered in the kitchen just long enough to fill another glass with juice before hurrying into the living room after Marshall, who was splayed across the couch, eyes shut, not making any signs of resuming their game. Gumball took the opportunity to stare unabashed at his now shirtless vampire. This wasn't a sight Gumball saw often, and he wondered why Marshall didn't bother to go upstairs and get a new shirt for himself. Though maybe he was just that exhausted and couldn't be bothered. Marshall Lee had always been slender without much muscle to speak of despite his inhuman strength, though his arms were well toned from decades – if not centuries – of playing guitar. Gumball always felt safe in those arms. He took a sip of his drink before setting it on top of a coaster and sat on the edge of the couch next to Marshall.

The vampire cracked open on eyelid and said sleepily, "Thought we were gonna play."

"It wouldn't be fair, with you being so exhausted."

"I can still whoop your butt," Marshall insisted, suppressing a yawn.

The prince chuckled and said, "Perhaps tomorrow."

He leaned over and pressed his lips to Marshall's, feeling the vampire stir ever so slightly at the touch. Gumball laid one hand to rest against Marshall's bare chest, the feel of skin against skin sending a quiet thrill up his arm. The prince pulled away just long enough to pull off his shoes and receive a confused grunt from his boyfriend. Gumball clambered onto the couch – or rather, onto Marshall – and laid down stomach-to-stomach with the Vampire King.

Marshall opened his drooping eyes once more to see the sweet pink face that was just inches from his own. Gumball weighed next to nothing, so the light pressure on his chest didn't bother him. But those huge violet eyes made it difficult to look away, despite how tired he was. Marshall Lee was not a romantic. But he could get lost in those eyes forever.

Gumball was idly twirling a strand of Marshall's hair, his legs tangled with the vampire's. He leaned up for another kiss, this time dragging Marshall's lower lip between his teeth. He felt the vampire shiver beneath him. It was a wonderful sensation. Gumball loved cuddling, but often he felt himself wanting… more. For whatever reasons Marshall Lee left unsaid, he seemed hesitant to pursue anything physical beyond what they were already doing. It was strange to Gumball, because he'd known Marshall to be promiscuous all these years. Was he simply not attracted enough to Gumball? Or perhaps the prince was expecting too much too quickly. It was his first relationship, after all. He wasn't sure how fast these things normally went. Seeing that Marshall was either too reluctant or too tired to go any further, Gumball tried not to let his frustration show and instead snuggled his head under the vampire's chin and let Marshall's arm find its familiar spot around Gumball's waist. The vampire murmured something unintelligible and held the prince tighter, bringing a little smile to Gumball's face. It was late and he should be going home, but he resolved that he'd let Marshall sleep for a while before making the vampire trek to the Candy Kingdom.

"Just a little cat nap. All right?" Gumball murmured.

After getting so little sleep over the past few weeks, Gumball decided that it wouldn't hurt to rest. He closed his eyes and listened to Marshall's slow, even breathing. That, with the gentle hum of the television and the sounds of the forest floating through the open window, made for a soft harmony that began to lull the prince to sleep as well. There was no place in Ooo as peaceful as this.

Or so it seemed.

She seemed to materialize in the room out of thin air. It was hard to tell if she came from the darkness or if the darkness followed her. Her eyes glowed catlike in the dim living room, and not even her humanoid appearance could make her seem like she belonged in this world. Her glittering red heels made no noise as she crossed the room to the two sleeping boys on the couch. Her toothy grin was as sinister as the shadows that followed her.

"Sweet dreams, my little monster," she purred. "Your time is almost up."


End file.
